Cruel Mistress' Crew
by Jenna Cassie Herdz
Summary: Sequal to 'Captain Krystal Robyn'. When Krystal arrives at Tia Dalma's shack, she gets some bad and worse news. Then Jasmine gets kindapped. Now Krystal must cope with Jack's death, her sister helping in it, and two search and rescue missions.
1. A Destiny for a Pirate

**A/N: **Welcome to the sequal to Captain Krystal Robyn! After all the awesome reviews I got for the first, I had to let you guys in on the second. This takes place after the second movie, Dead Man's Chest. Enjoy!

_**Chapter 1: A Destiny for a Pirate**_

Captain Krystal Robyn stood on the bow of a long boat as it glided through the bayou toward a shabby old shack. Her turquoise eyes scanned around at the people standing in the waist high water with candles in their hands and depressed expressions on their faces. Her pet lemur, Nemo, sat on her left shoulder and looked around at everything, curiously. Krystal saw another boat at the base of the shack she was heading for, and placed a hand on her sword.

John Stewart, her first mate, rowed the boat gently through the water. His wife, Jasmine, clutched to his arm and looked around the darkness nervously. The boat stopped with a small bump to the other almost making Krystal lose her footing. She walked through the empty boat and climbed onto the small balcony of the shack.

"Mr. Stewart," she whispered in a mild Spanish accent. "Mind the boat."

"Aye, Captain," he replied in a thick Irish accent. The door to the shack was open and Krystal heard voices inside, one in particular she knew right away.

"So tell me," the voice said. "What's become of my ship?"

"Barbossa!" Krystal hissed in anger. She stood in the open doorway and stepped in to find a group of people crowded around the man she had heard.

"Tia Dalma!" she called. The group turned to face her and Krystal made a dead stop as she recognized all of them.

"Well, well, Krystal Robyn," the man with a monkey on his shoulder smiled with rotting teeth. "'Tis indeed a pleasure to see you again. It's too long."

"Not long enough, if you ask me," Krystal retorted, stepping closer to the group.

"Krystal!" the young woman in front of her smiled, coming closer to her. "What are you doing here?!" She threw her arms around Krystal who only chuckled and hugged her back.

"I'd ask the same of you, Lizzie," Krystal smirked as they pulled away. Elizabeth looked at her older sister in a bit of sadness.

"Krystal---"

"I'm sure it's a fascinating story, but let me greet the rest of my friends." Krystal turned to the young man next to Elizabeth with a smile. "William! Aren't you looking like a pirate!" She shook William's hand.

"Krystal, it's good to see you again but---"

"Lovely to see you too, son!" Krystal interrupted then turned to someone else. "Mr. Gibbs! How long has it been?!"

"Too long, Miss Robyn, and---"

"And who are _these_ blokes?!" Krystal asked, turning to three other men.

"The man with the parrot is Mr. Cotton, but---"

"Ah, yes! I remember! The parrot talks! You were on the _Pearl_ last time I was! Where's Marty?!" Krystal felt a tug on her vest and looked down to see and extremely short bald man staring up at her. "There you are!"

"Miss Robyn---" Marty tried, but Krystal looked to Gibbs again.

"Speaking of the _Black Pearl_, where's Jack? If _you're_ here, then so is he, eh?"

"You should listen to your friends, Krystal Robyn," the dark skinned woman standing next to Barbossa called and Krystal looked at her.

"Tia Dalma," she smiled. "I _am_ listening."

"No, Krystal," Elizabeth argued softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's _about_ Jack."

Krystal turned with a frown to her sister as her hand fell.

"What's wrong with Jack?" she asked then looked around at the others. "Is he hurt?"

No one answered and only stared at her forlornly.

"Well, I'm listening now. Someone tell me!" She turned around and gripped Elizabeth's arms, distress and fear in her eyes. "What's wrong with Jack?!" Krystal stared at Elizabeth as she began to tear up and Krystal panicked.

"He's---" William choked making Krystal turn her attention to him and let go of Elizabeth as she approached him.

"He's gone---" he choked again.

"Gone?!" Krystal questioned. "Gone where?! Tortuga?! Singapore?! Where?!"

"I'm sorry, Krystal," Barbossa broke in suddenly. "He's gone to Davy Jones' Locker."

Silence. Krystal stared at Barbossa in disbelief, mouth agape, eyes wide, and tears welling up in them. She stood still for so long, the group had thought her soul had left her, leaving her a ghostly complexion. Krystal felt her heart fall to her stomach and dig into her gut making her feel sick.

"_Davy Jones' Locker?!_" she thought. "_It can't be! It's impossible! Jack was one of the best pirates at cheating death! He can't be--- It's not possible!_"

"That…" Krystal finally spat. "That can't be--- No. It's not--- Jack is really?" She was too shocked she couldn't finish her thoughts, her mind went spinning out of control.

"How?" she asked turning to Will.

"The Kraken," he replied in a sad, low voice. "Davy Jones sent the Kraken to take him and the _Black Pearl_. He had a debt to pay."

Krystal felt tears rapidly flowing down her face and suddenly doubled over with a loud shout as if she had been stabbed. Nemo leaped off of her shoulder as she sank to the floor and scampered out the door.

"Krystal!" Elizabeth cried, kneeling down to her sister now on all fours on the floor. The rest of the group crowded around her, with the exception of Tia Dalma and Barbossa.

"No!" Krystal argued, slamming her fist on the floor. "It's not possible! He can't be gone! He promised! He swore we would see each other again!" She sobbed into her hands as she rocked back and forth on her knees.

"A bit dramatic," Barbossa muttered, disapprovingly.

"She in love with him," Tia Dalma said turning to him. "No man but Jack Sparrow has her heart. When it comes to him, she cannot hide her feelings from no one."

"Love?" Barbossa smirked. "Had no clue it was love between them."

"Don't worry, lass," Gibbs assured Krystal. "We're going to get him back! We're going to go to World's End!"

"Back away from her now!" John ordered from the doorway, sword drawn and the group jumped back from Krystal as she stopped sobbing.

"Mr. Stewart! Sheath your sword!" Krystal growled from her place on the floor. "We're among more friends than enemies, here!"

"There will be a time for grieving later for you, Captain," Tia Dalma broke in, addressing Krystal. Krystal looked up at her with shocked watery eyes. Tia Dalma set the tray she was holding on s shelf and strode toward Krystal who was still on the floor.

"Why not grieve now?!" Krystal demanded angrily. Tia Dalma ignored her question and grabbed Krystal left wrist, pulling her to her feet by it. She pulled Krystal's sleeve down to reveal the back of her forearm. Just below her wrist was a tattoo of a dragon swallowing a serpent with Japanese characters lining the back of her wrist.

"What do the symbols say?" Tia Dalma asked, knowingly.

"Rebel," Krystal began. "Obey. Live. Die. Two opposites."

"It's time to face your destiny," Tia Dalma replied.

"You're big on destiny," William observed.

"My destiny was Jack!" Krystal confessed, angrily. "Now he's gone! I have nothing!"

"No, Krystal Robyn," Tia Dalma said, still gripping her wrist. "Your destiny is here." She pointed at the tattoo. "This mark shows your destiny."

"This 'mark' means nothing! It's only a picture that I like and my personality in symbols!"

"The dragon swallows the serpent and rules the waters. _You_ are the dragon."

"And who, pray tell, is the serpent, if you know so much?!"

"Kan the Samurai."

Krystal's anger turned to dread and disbelief.

"Kan?" she breathed as Tia Dalma let go of her wrist. "…the Samurai? Killer Kan? What's that sea-serp---? What's _he_ got to do with _me?!_"

"That, I cannot tell you," Tia Dalma replied.

"Who's Kan the Samurai?" Elizabeth whispered to Gibbs.

"Killer Kan," Gibbs replied. "He's a merciless, cut-throat who got his name from killing anyone in his path, age making no difference, man or woman."

"Of course you can't tell me!" Krystal shouted, becoming frustrated. "You tell us only enough to risk our lives to find the answer to your riddles!"

"Why did you come?" Tia Dalma wondered, calmly.

"I wanted to find Jack! Why else would I have come here, your company?! Or your riddles that rack my brain?! But now that I have my answer I'll just take my ship and leave!" Krystal turned to the door and walked toward John who only stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Krystal!" Elizabeth called and Krystal stopped at the door then turned to her sister.

"Come to think of it," she smirked, still speaking in a booming voice. "Just tell me where Davy Jones is! I'll kill the thing that killed Jack!"

"Krystal," Elizabeth called softly. "I need to speak to you."

Krystal looked at Elizabeth and noticing the guilty look in her eyes, nodded. Elizabeth and Krystal walked into a small room filled with knick-knacks everywhere.

"What's wrong, Lizzy?" Krystal asked with a stern look, folding her arms across her chest.

"Davy Jones didn't exactly kill Jack," Elizabeth began. "The Kraken had help with taking down the _Pearl_."

Krystal frowned at her in confusion.

"Jack ordered us all off the _Black Pearl_ and into the long boat. But when they were abandoning ship, Jack was shackled to the main mast."

Krystal stared at her sister in shock.

"What?!" she exclaimed, dropping her arms and gripping Elizabeth's. "Who?! Who shackled Jack to his death?!"

Elizabeth's eyes began to water again, and she cast her eyes down in sadness. She muttered something and Krystal shook her into attention.

"What?!"

"It was me," Elizabeth mumbled, sending a shock through Krystal. She had little time to react to her sister's confession before she heard a frightened scream outside. Krystal shoved Elizabeth out her way and ran to the balcony of the shack, drawing her sword.

"Jasmine!" John shouted. Krystal looked to the water and saw two empty boats and John standing in the darkness…the people mourning Jack had gone.

"What happened?!" Krystal spat at John as he stood in the water, and he turned to her with a pale face and wide eyes.

"Jasmine's been…taken," he replied.

**A/N:** Well, here it is! Man, Krystal can't catch a break, can she? ha ha! What you think? Reviews please!


	2. Plans

**A/N:** Ok, so, so far, Krystal knows Jack is dead, and that the gang is going to get him from Davy Jones' Locker, and that Elizabeth helped kill Jack, _and_ Jasmine has been taken. Just a small recap. Enjoy!

_**Chapter 2: Plans**_

Krystal stood on the bowspirt of the _Cruel Mistress_, staring out to sea. Her eyes wondered across the water, watching the waves roll over each other as she always did when she needed to think. She didn't want to be disturbed. Not now.

"_Jack is gone_," she thought. "_Elizabeth helped his death, and now my first mate's wife has been kidnapped. Not to mention, I apparently have to face my destiny._" She carefully lowered herself to sit on the bowspirt.

"Why did you get yourself into trouble with Davy Jones?" Krystal asked, as if Jack were there with her.

"It's funny what a man will do to forestall his final judgment, love," she heard Jack's voice echo behind her. She turned to see a transparent, ghost-like Jack Sparrow sitting on the bowspirt with her. "And his ship's, for that matter."

"Did you _have_ to go to _him_?" Krystal sighed, swinging her legs to one side of the spirt. "You could have done what I did. Just find another ship."

"What kind of ship could replace the _Black Pearl_?!" Jack replied, also swinging his legs to one side to sit closer to her.

"Of course it wouldn't be the same, but you would have had a ship. What happened, anyway?"

"How should _I_ know?! I'm only an image of the _real_ Captain Jack Sparrow."

"That's right," Krystal scoffed. "I wish it wasn't so. I wish you were really here, Jack."

"I know, love," Jack whispered. He disappeared with a gust of wind and Krystal sighed in sadness. Nemo crawled from the railing and onto the bowspirt to his master.

"Hello, Nemo," she smiled weakly and held her hand to him. The lemur jumped onto her arm and up to her shoulder as she looked out to sea again with a sigh. "I wonder if they'll really get him back. With Tia Dalma, no doubt it'll be easy if they do."

"Captain!" Scab, the cook, called from the deck. Krystal spun her head around to see him at the bow, his gray eyes wild with panic.

"What is it, Scab?" Krystal called back.

"It's Mr. Stewart! He's speaking of jumping overboard!"

Krystal's eyes shot to him in shock as she quickly stood and balanced herself toward the deck of the bow. She jumped off the railing and ran onto the main deck.

"Where is he?!" Krystal demanded.

"The brig, ma'am," Scab replied, making her stop and spin around to stare at him. "A few of the men stopped him from jumping."

Krystal's face softened as she smirked.

"Good man," she nodded. She walked down to the brig where she saw John sitting on the bench in a cell, mouth gagged, hands bound at the wrists. As soon as he saw his captain he stood up and slammed his foot on the cell door in order to open it, but the door didn't budge. The clang of his shoe hitting the iron echoed through the brig.

Krystal walked to the cell and stood in front of her first mate. John's sky blue eyes stared at her in anger and defiance. Krystal only stared back at him, feeling his rage at the fact that his wife was missing and no one had any idea of where she was or had taken her.

"So," Krystal finally said her hands behind her back. "So you wanted to jump overboard, eh?"

John kicked the door again in rage.

"Oi!" Krystal growled, loudly. "I know you're angry! But killing yourself and throwing tantrums is not going to help get Jasmine back! If I untie you and let you out, are you going to act like an adult?!"

John still stared at her in defiance, but nodded.

"Good," she nodded. "Now, come here and turn around so I can release your mouth."

John did as he was told and Krystal untied the gag on the other side of the bars.

"Why aren't you trying?!" he barked once the gag fell from his mouth. He spun around to look at Krystal. "Why aren't you trying to find Jasmine?!"

"Watch your tongue, John!" Krystal growled, angrily. "Don't think I won't make you walk the plank for insubordinance! I know you're angry! _I'm_ angry too! But don't you _dare_ say I'm not trying!"

"You don't understand!" John snapped. "I love her! She's all I have! Now she's taken away! You've never felt how I feel now!" His anger suddenly disappeared and turned to realization at the stupidity of his words.

"You thinking about how stupid you are for saying that?" Krystal asked in a low, awfully calm voice. "I _am_ trying, John. I could have gone with Lizzy and the others to get Jack, and don't think it didn't cross my mind. But I didn't. I stayed here so that I could find Jasmine. To help _you_ find her."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," John muttered, bowing his head. Krystal pulled the ship's keys from her belt and unlocked the cell. John walked toward her, arms outstretched in a silent request to be untied.

"No apologies necessary, mate," Krystal smirked, untying his hands. "All I ask is your cooperation. No more suicide attempts and temper tantrums. Savvy?"

John nodded but instead of walking out of the cell he sat back down on the bench. He held his head in his hands as he slumped forward, shaking his head.

"Why didn't I stay with her in the boat?" he almost whined. "I could have been there to defend her! Or at least _see_ who kidnapped her!"

Krystal sighed, stepping into the cell and sitting next to him.

"John," she spoke softly. "There was nothing you could have done. No doubt, you would have been killed."

John didn't move, or say a word.

"But there's something you can do _now_."

John finally looked up with hope and curiosity in his eyes.

"Hacer y esperanza."

"Fight and hope?" John frowned in confusion. "Hope for what?!" He stood up and began pacing around the cell. "Hope that whoever took her hasn't hurt her?!"

"Unfortunately, yes," Krystal replied, calmly. "We'll have to look for her."

"Where can we start?! We know nothing!"

"We'll start with Killer Kan."

John shot a look of terror at Krystal as he froze.

"You don't think _he_ did it?! My God! If her touches her---!"

"You'll have your chance for revenge, Mr. Stewart. Yes, I believe it was he. It's no coincidence that _your_ wife would be missing just as Tia Dalma would tell me to face my destiny."

Little Nemo wrapped himself around Krystal's neck under her ebony hair, his tail curling around her throat.

"Well, where are we sailing, then?" John asked, leaning on the bars of the cell.

"Isla de Asesino," Krystal replied, standing. "Kan's home."

"That's not a real name, is it?" John asked of their enemies' name. "'Kan.' It sounds like a word in another language."

"It is," Krystal nodded. "It's Japanese. It means 'intuition' or 'sixth sense.' That's how he knows where his enemies are going to be. That's his 'power.'"

"How do we fight _that_?!"

"We don't. We don't worry about that. But we need to be sure that Killer Kan is on Isla de Asesino. We need to find Kan the Samurai."

There was suddenly a green glow from the tattoo on Krystal's left arm. She looked at it with a frown and pulled her sleeve down to get a better look at it. It became brighter and shot beams of light at the ceiling, blinding her and John.

"What is that?!" John asked, shading his eyes.

"How should _I_ know?!" Krystal replied, shading her eyes as well. The green beams fluttered and shone onto the ceiling, their light waning just enough to show a picture above them. Nemo shivered in fear around Krystal's neck and with her free hand she tried comforting him by scratching is head.

"Captain," Jon breathed, looking at the ceiling. "Look!"

To Krystal's surprise, the green beams made up an image of an island. An island that looked extremely familiar.

"It's the Isla de Asesino," Krystal explained breathlessly, staring in marvel at the ceiling. The picture zoomed into a bunch of trees and the two saw a small, Japanese style house.

"What's that?" John wondered, still staring at the image on the ceiling.

"It's like a house for Jap---" Krystal realized something as she began explaining the image. "Kan is Japanese, sort of. He was raised there, and that's why Tia Dalma said my destiny was my mark…I got this tattoo in Japan."

The picture shifted again, zooming in and taking the image into the house. They saw a blonde woman tied to a chair in the middle of the apparent living room.

"Jasmine!" John called, as if she could hear him. The picture panned around to the door and framed in the doorway was a tall, broad-shouldered man in black. There was a sword on his hip and a pistol in his black leather belt. Everything the man wore was black, including the mask that covered his mouth and nose. Is golden eyes smiled evilly through small strands of chocolate brown hair.

"Killer Kan," Krystal breathed.

"_Come and get me, Captain Robyn!"_ Kan shouted from the image. The green beams turned to one and disappeared, taking the picture with it. Krystal and John stared at her arm in awe. The picture on her arm of the dragon and the serpent had changed. The serpent was now coiled around the dragon.

"What's the significance of the change?" John asked walking close to his captain.

"Probably because Kan is now coiled around my mind, taunting me," she replied, pulling her sleeve down as she gave the cell door a hard stare.

"Taunting?" John wondered.

"Up on deck with me, Mr. Stewart," Krystal ordered, running out of the cell and back to the main deck, John on her heels. She turned to the helm where the bosun stood, steering the ship.

"Matthew!" she called. "Which way are we headed, presently?"

"Sou-east, ma'am!" Matthew replied with an Australian accent.

"Wrong way, lad! We should be going Nor-west!"

"Right, sorry, ma'am!"

"No apologies! Adjust our course!"

"The other way, Captain?" John whispered.

"That handsome boy is not too bright. We're not headed the other way. At least…I don't think we are." Krystal shrugged, and walked toward the galley as John frowned at her in confusion.

"_That was a bit too Jack-like_," he thought then ran up next to Matthew at the helm.

Matthew was seventeen, a bit young to be a bosun, but what else could the captain do about a stowaway's dreams of sailing the sea. After all, _she_ was there once. The boy had chocolate brown hair, straight, shoulder length with a red sash tied around his forehead. He had charcoal eyes that were soft with compassion, something that would unfortunately be forced out of him.

"She never wants apologies, does she?" he asked John, spinning the helm to direct the ship.

"No, never," John replied.

"I know this is your wife that's been kidnapped. Just so you know, I'll fight with you to get her back."

"Thanks, Matthew. But I don't want you to be killed because of me."

"What makes you think I'll be killed?"

"This isn't your fight, Matthew. Thank you, but no."

**A/N**: I'm not good with directions, so, yeah. Anyways...now we know who took Jasmine, and it figures it would be Kan, eh? Ha ha! I tend to make things a bit confusing with my fics because there's a lot rattling around in my head. I had a hard time trying to make sense of this fic to myself...lol! So, if this ever doesn't make sense to you, the reader, leave your question in your review and I'll try to answer it as best as I can. I encourage questions with all my other fics too. Reviews, please!


	3. Kan the Samurai

_**Chapter 3: Kan the Samurai**_

Jasmine sat in the chair, her head bowed, her blonde hair draping over her tear soaked face, and a single stripe of crimson liquid ran from the corner of her mouth and down her chin. She gazed up at the man in front of her, her ruby eyes filled with rage and rebellion.

"Now," the man said, kneeling to look her in the eye. "You know who I am?"

"Killer Kan," Jasmine growled softly, making him give a smug grin that shone through his eyes.

"That's right, darling," Kan replied, standing. "Handsome, ain't I?" He held his head up proudly.

"How can anyone tell with that thing over your face?" Jasmine retorted. Kan looked down at her, his golden eyes reflecting irritation.

"Get something straight. I take my mask off for no one. Ikimasu?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"'Do you understand?'"

"No, that's why I asked."

"That's what it means!" Kan growled then sighed in exasperation as Jasmine smiled in triumph and he leaned down to look her in the eye again.

"Why must you annoy me, pretty?" he wondered. "I _could_ get rid of you and be done with it."

"Why _did_ you kidnap me?" Jasmine shot back in an irritated tone. "Some score to settle with my husband?"

"Husband?!" Kan stood straight again with a laugh. "Oh, no! Your _captain_! I want your captain!"

"Krystal? What would you want with her? And if you wanted her, _guaranteed_, you should have done something to someone she actually _cares_ about."

Kan chuckled and began circling around the chair as he spoke.

"She cares about you," he said, matter-of-factly. "She cares about _everyone_ that sails with her. It's her nature."

Jasmine looked down at the floor again.

"You still haven't answered my question," she noticed. "What do you want with Captain Krystal Robyn?"

"None of your business!" Kan snapped, stopping behind her then in a calm voice he asked: "What's the name of her ship?"

Jasmine frowned at him in confusion as he began circling her again.

"Her ship?!" she squeaked. "You don't even know the name of her ship?! That's a bit funny!" She began howling with laughter and Kan glared at her in anger. He raised his hand and brought it down to her face, hard. Little droplets of red spat off in the directions she turned her head, and stopped laughing.

"Go se!" she shouted in pain.

"Answer my questions!" Kan boomed. "The name of her ship!"

Jasmine looked up at him again in rage and an urge to throttle him if she could get out of her bonds.

"The _Cruel Mistress_," she replied in a low voice.

"Suits her," Kan chuckled. "Now I know exactly what ship to look for."

"She is anything _but_ cruel!" Jasmine corrected, causing Kan to look at her in surprise. "_You_ on the other hand---!"

He slapped her again on the other cheek.

"Yes," he growled through clenched teeth. "I'm sure I'm as cruel as Davy Jones himself! That woman, however, had no right to do what she did!" He sat on a small stool in front of her.

"Imagine yourself on an island," he began. "The white sand beneath your feet as you stand on the island of Martinique. Now, picture me, but much younger, with another young man with chestnut hair and sea-green eyes about a few years younger than myself.

"We walk along the shore, talking, laughing, having a grand old time. When, suddenly, in the distance, we see a figure walking toward us. A lady, by the looks of it. We run toward her and find that she is breathtaking. Hair as black as ebony, eyes a shade of turquoise as if you were looking into the Caribbean waters…"

"Krystal," Jasmine breathed in realization.

"Hai," Kan nodded. "That woman was there with a crew and ship, only at that time the ship was called the _Black Pearl_.

"We found ourselves as friends. All three of us. I told her that the young lad and I were fixing to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta and _she_ told us she was sailing with Captain Jack Sparrow and learning about pirating from him.

"The next day, she's gone, as well as the crew she had been with and the _Black Pearl_. We head for out destination, the young lad and I, only to find that _someone_ had gotten to it first. Later, we heard rumors that Jack Sparrow had been marooned on an island, left for dead, and his crew found the treasure of the Isla de Muerta.

"I asked a friend of mine who had mutinied Jack, but the name Krystal Robyn never came up. Then, later still, we heard that Jack Sparrow had gotten the idea to go to Isla de Muerta from a girl who would have been around twenty. The same age as Krystal Robyn was when we met her."

Jasmine gasped and stared at Kan with wide eyes as he nodded at her realization.

"So you see now?" he wondered. "She _is_ cruel. A liar, a cheat, a traitor---"

"Pirate," Jasmine broke in calmly. "What did you expect?"

Kan stared at her in rage and lifted his hand to hit her again but hesitated.

"It wouldn't do any good, would it?" he asked in a smug tone. "If I beat you around, it wouldn't matter. You'd _still_ get on my nerves."

"And why is that?" Jasmine smirked. "Is it because your last encounter with a pretty girl left you jaded? Or is it because of my witty comments and smart remarks?"

"You always have something to say, don't you?" Kan growled.

"I've been held prisoner before," Jasmine retorted, becoming serious. "Wouldn't you know it, by our mutual friend, Krystal Robyn? Only difference between being held by her and you is that _she_ didn't tie me up and beat me around. _She_ gave me food as well. I got under _her_ skin, too."

Kan straightened as he studied her.

"_He's going to try to get on my __good__ side, now_," she guessed, silently. "_I can see his mind going around and around in is eyes_."

Kan placed his hands on his thighs and only stared at her.

"Tell me," he finally said. "What's she like now?"

Jasmine frowned at him in shocked confusion, taken aback by the question.

"Shen mi?" she asked.

"What is Krystal like now?" he repeated. Jasmine's eyes shifted from side to side for a moment.

"Still pretty, I imagine," he guessed.

"Yes," Jasmine replied, cautiously. "She is very much like Jack Sparrow, I suppose. The only thing is, she's rather honorable, for a pirate. More so then any pirate I've encountered."

Kan sat back slightly and Jasmine could tell by the way he folded his arms that he doubted that.

"She's not too concerned with treasure," Jasmine continued. "She loves the sea more than anything else, save one thing. Lovely soprano."

"She sings, eh?" Kan broke in finally. "What her ships colours?"

Jasmine looked at him again.

"You know the name of her ship," she reminded him. "Why do you need to know her ship's colours?"

Kan leaned forward, his eyes reflecting an evil grin.

"I see colours first when looking at of for a ship, darling. Everything does."

"Well," Jasmine sighed, pretending to think. "I'm not even sure she has a flag or colours or whatever."

Kan sat back and whistled, loudly. A door to his left side open and Jasmine stared at something that walked into the room. The black and white tiger gave a small, playful growl as it walked toward Kan.

"Isn't she a beauty?" he asked, leaning down to pet the beast. "Black and white tigers are a rarity enough, but _this_ one…" He lifted the tiger's head gently to face Jasmine, who cringed back slightly. "This one is a _real_ find."

Jasmine stared at the cat in fear then noticed something unusual about its eyes.

In many of the Asian countries there was a legend that told of a tiger, favored by many mystic beings, who was black and white. The interesting thing about thing about this legendary tiger was its eyes. The left would be a sapphire color and the right, an emerald color. This tiger would also have an extremely heightened sixth sense. It would almost be able to tell the future, it coupled with a certain other animal.

"You notice the eyes, Jasmine?" Kan wondered. "One of sapphire, one of emerald." He let go of the beast's head and ran his fingers through its fur scratching behind the tiger's ears.

"I didn't think such an animal existed!" Jasmine admitted, breathlessly with wide eyes.

"Of course not," Kan replied. "No one did." He patted his lap and the beast leaped up slightly, its front paws on his lap and he petted the animal again. "Her name is Mariko."

The cat purred under his touch.

"That's how you got your name," Jasmine breathed in realization. "You use the power of this tiger to know when and where your enemies are close! You, yourself, have no sixth sense!"

"Just now realizing that, eh?" Kan retorted, his eyes smirking. "You know, she has to be fed regularly, otherwise she gets awfully irritable. Do you know what her favorite dish is?"

Jasmine shook her head, becoming more terrified at the fact that he'd begun speaking about the animal's feeding habits.

"Raw meat," Kan continued. "Origin matter not. Species matters not. She's not picky." He whistled softly and Mariko pushed off of him and left the room.

"Why are you telling me about what she eats?" Jasmine wondered in a shaky voice, not really sure if she wanted to know the answer. Kan leaned close to her as the door to his left slid closed.

"To tell you that she wouldn't mind feeding off of _your_ flesh if you get on my nerves _too_ much," he explained. Jasmine swallowed loudly, making him scoff in triumph. "Think about everything we've talked about." He stood and walked to the door.

"Who was the other man in your story?" Jasmine called quickly, making Kan to stop at the threshold, but he didn't turn around.

"My brother," he replied. "Daniel Conrad."

"And you would seek revenge on Krystal only because she betrayed a friendship that would not have lasted long anyway?"

Kan whirled around and stared her down in immeasurable rage.

"I seek revenge on her because she killed my brother!" he growled then stomped toward her and leaned his hands on the arms of the chair she sat in. "She killed my brother over a bloody ship! Does that suit your imaginings?!"

**A/N:** Ooh! The idiot was his brother! gasp Krystal's in deep crap now, huh? Reviews, please?


	4. Man Overboard

_**Chapter 4: "Man Overboard!"**_

"_You're cheating, Jack!" Krystal laughed, sitting with Jack at the table in his cabin._

"_Pirate, love," Jack replied. "Wouldn't matter anyway, you're too good at this." They finished their game of cards, with Krystal as the victor and Jack sat back in his chair, staring at Krystal._

"_What are you thinking?" Krystal wondered, cutely._

"_I'm thinking that once we get to Martinique, I'm not letting you out of my sight," Jack grinned, folding his hands behind his head._

"_You never let me out of your sight anyway, Jack," Krystal retorted with a smirk, standing and walking toward Jack. "What's going to make __this__ time any different?"_

_Jack smirked and lowered one of his hands to pull Krystal toward him by the wrist and she fell into his lap, his arms wrapping around her waist._

"_This__ time I mean it, love," he smiled and instantly began kissing Krystal's neck, but she pushed him away just as quick._

"_Jack!" she gasped. "What if someone sees us?!"_

"_What makes you think they'll care?" Jack retorted. The doors to the cabin suddenly opened._

"_Captain!" Barbossa, the first mate, called excitedly. "We've reached Martinique!"_

"Captain?" Matthew called softly, jolting Krystal from her thoughts. She had been standing at the port railing of the _Cruel Mistress_ for several hours and it was now dark.

"What is it, Matty?" Krystal asked as Matthew stood to her right.

"Where is it you go when you go away like that?" he asked, without hesitation.

"You've adopted Mr. Stewart's boldness, haven't you?" Krystal observed. Matthew straightened and cleared his throat.

"Forgive me, ma'am," he said quickly. "Permission to speak freely?"

"Of course, mate," Krystal smirked. "I was only teasing you."

Matthew let out a sigh of relief.

"To answer your question: I let my thoughts carry me as far as they want to. Most of the time they take me to my past. Perhaps my subconscious is trying to tell me something." She finally turned to Matthew. "What do _you_ think, Matty?"

"I think you should stop calling me 'Matty'!" he smiled and Krystal chuckled.

"Very well," she nodded. "What would you have me call you?"

"Black Scorpion!" Matthew grinned, standing proudly making his captain laugh.

"A bit over the top, eh?" she smirked. Matthew shrunk down and sulked a bit. "Doesn't suit you, lad. How about something a bit less dark---?"

"But not tame!" Matthew threw in.

"Of course not! What kind of pirate is tame?!"

"Captain!" John called, running up from the galley.

"We'll get a name for you later, lad," Krystal assured Matthew then turned to her first mate. "What's wrong, Mr. Stewart?"

John turned the glass bottle in his hand, holding it in the air in front of her. A few drops of liquid fell from it and onto the deck as he stared at Krystal with wide eyes.

"We're out of rum," he whispered. Krystal eyes became wide and she looked cautiously around the ship as she stepped closer to him.

"Why is the rum gone?" she whispered, and he shrugged. "This is not good, Mr. Stewart, not good at all." She tapped her chin with her fingers as her eyes shifted in thought. "We'll have to restock on everything when we pass a port, or something."

"Captain!" Matthew called from the starboard side. "Look! Over here!"

Krystal ran toward him and leaned over the starboard railing. In the water, toward the stern, there was a small spot that looked like the sea was boiling.

"What is that?" Krystal breathed, not expecting an answer. Suddenly, there came from the bubbles, a huge splash and the bow of a ship emerged from the water. Krystal stared at the ship in terrified shock.

"Captain," John breathed, standing next to her. "That's not what I think it is, is it?"

"The _Flying Dutchman_," Krystal breathed back. "Davy Jones."

"What's he want with you?" Matthew wondered.

"Does it matter, lad?!" Krystal replied. She was still staring at the ship when she saw a few cannons appear from her hull and she realized this wasn't a social call.

"Hard to port!" se shouted to the crew member at the helm then ran to it, Matthew on her heels. She took the helm and continued turning it to the left as fast as she could.

"Can we outrun her?" Matthew hoped.

"With the wind? Hopefully," Krystal replied, still spinning the wheel to the left. The sound of cannon fire from the _Flying Dutchman_ sounded like thunder over the sea. The _Cruel Mistress_ shuddered from the cannon fire hitting her hull as the enemy began to fall behind. Matthew ran to the port railing to tie down a loose line and the ship rocked to the left, suddenly, with more cannon fire. He held tight to the rope, but it wasn't enough and with a startled shout, Matthew toppled into the sea.

"Man overboard!" John shouted and ran to the port side. Matthew flapped his arms to keep his head above water as he shrunk into the distance and John turned to Krystal who was still at the helm. "Davy Jones will surely take him if we don't turn, Captain!"

"No," Krystal breathed.

"What'll we do, Captain?! The _Dutchman_ is almost on him!"

Krystal said nothing.

"Captain?!"

"_He'll be asked to serve_," she thought. "_If he refuses he'll be killed, for sure!_"

"Captain?!"

"_If we turn back, Jones may blow us out of the water, and Jasmine will never be rescued._"

"Captain?!" John screamed.

"We sail on, Mr. Stewart!" Krystal finally shouted back. John ran up the stairs to the helm and stood next to her.

"Captain, with all due respect, are you insane?!"

"There is a method to my madness, Mr. Stewart," Krystal replied, calmly, not looking away from the horizon. "Matthew is a tough young man---"

"Who knows nothing about being a pirate, or anything about the _sea_ for the matter!"

"I taught him the best lesson I know. 'Survive at all costs.' He's skilled with a sword, and despite what _I_ say, he _is_ a rather intelligent boy. If anyone can get out of it, he will. Bit like Jack Sparrow, that one is."

The _Cruel Mistress_ shuddered again, thrice in a row as the _Flying Dutchman_ used her triple guns on them.

"Mr. Stewart, tell me where she is!"

John said nothing and didn't move, but stared at her in near disgust. Krystal looked at him in rage that he didn't answer her order.

"How far behind is she Mr. Stewart?!"

He spun around and stared beyond the ship's backside.

"She's nearly out of range, Captain," he replied.

"Very good," Krystal nodded. "We'll get to Isla de Asesino and find Jasmine without any other distractions, hopefully."

John marched down the stairs and onto the deck and Krystal turned to another crewmate.

"Take the helm. I've set us on course. All you need do is keep her on course. Alright?"

The man nodded and Krystal followed John below deck

"Now what, Captain?" John asked in mock respect as they met in the brig.

"What do you think of my actions, John?" Krystal replied. "Speak freely, lad. I wouldn't want you to lie to me."

John whirled around to face her with an angry stare.

"I think that since Jack Sparrow died, you've become a coward!" he spat, without hesitation. Krystal stared at him in rage and brought her hand up, backhanding him as hard as she could.

"Bloody hell! What was _that_ for?!"

"I said 'speak freely' not 'insult me'!"

"What else am I to think by your behavior?!"

"Oh, this is brilliant!" Krystal laughed, mockingly, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "I'm going to get your wife back and you call me a coward! Mark my words: The _next_ time you call me that will be the _last_! Now would you like to know _why_ I left Matthew to Jones?!"

"If it explains your insanity," John muttered.

"We'll get _him_ back _after_ we get Jasmine back, and trust me, getting Jasmine back will be the easier of the two."

"How?" John replied in boredom and skepticism.

"Oh, ye of little faith," Krystal smirked. "If Kan doesn't give her back, I'll keep a certain piece of information tat I have. Information that he'll want."

"Quit speaking in riddles!" John growled. "How are you going to get her back?!"

"Patience, eh?" Krystal replied, calmly. "All you need to worry about is what _I_ tell you now."

"And what of Matthew? Jones will surely kill him!"

"No, he won't. As I said, Matty is a smart one, he'll keep hisself alive, and Kan will help me get him back, otherwise---"

"You hold your information."

"Precisely!" Krystal grinned. "Feeling better now that you know I have a plan?"

"Leverage. That's your plan?"

"Best kind of plan, lad." Krystal placed her hands on John's shoulders. "You just let _me_ worry about the crew. _You_ worry about the orders I give you, and my orders to you at this moment are to keep on the watch and tell me when we reach Isla de Asesino, alright?"

John nodded and left the brig to go on deck, still unsure of this whole thing. Krystal sighed and sat on the bench in a cell, her head in her hands.

"I see you're using pretty much everything I taught you, love," Transparent Jack's voice echoed next to her.

"All one _ever_ needs is the proper leverage," Krystal replied.

"That's right, deary. I'm proud of you."

"The problem is, it doesn't always end up so good for the leverage."

"A risk that must be taken."

"He's my friend, Jack. I can't lose him. I won't let Kan use him to predict the future with that cat of his!"

"It has to be done, love. You know that nothing will work in this plan of yours unless you give Kan what he wants."

"He wants me dead."

"He can't kill you until you tell him how to predict the future with his beastie."

"Jack, that may not matter. I killed someone he cared for. I killed his brother and Nemo may pay the price for my sin. I don't think I can live with that."

**A/N:** Review! Quickly!


	5. Aboard the Flying Dutchman

_**Chapter 5: Aboard the **__**Flying Dutchman**_

Matthew flailed in the water, trying to keep his head above the surface. Water entered his mouth and he spat it out at the intolerably salty taste. He suddenly heard a splash to his left and saw a rope dangling from a ship. Instinctively he grabbed the rope, not caring whether it was from the _Cruel Mistress_ or the _Flying Dutchman_. He was lifted from the water and landed on the deck of a ship. He looked around the ship and his heart pounded with fear as he saw creatures that stood upright as men but looked like creatures of the sea.

"_Brilliant_," he thought, hopelessly. "_I'm on the __Flying Dutchman__. Good move._" He felt himself being lifted by the collar of his shirt and he was pulled to his feet. He looked behind him and saw a creature that was half hammer-head shark.

"What shall we do with him, Captain?" the creature asked, staring ahead of him. Matthew looked forward and stared at the legendary figure in wide eyed horror. The octopus faced captain strode toward Matthew on a crab leg, but it was his crab claw hand that scared the lad stiff. The captain leaned his face down to Matthew's and stared hard at the young boy.

"Do you fear death?" Davy Jones asked Matthew, enunciating every syllable.

"You have no idea," Matthew replied, trying to be brave and funny at the same time.

"I can offer you an escape from death," Jones answered, ignoring Matthew's comic relief.

"Really?" Matthew said, scrunching his nose in doubt. "How exactly would you do that?"

"You may serve one hundred years before the mast. One hundred years to sail the seas. Will ye serve?"

Matthew thought for a moment, calculating the years in his head and on his fingers.

"That sounds like a long time," he finally reasoned. "After all, I _am_ seventeen years old, if I count right. If I serve you for one hundred years, that means I'll have lived one hundred seventeen years. But that's really not _that_ long, especially if it's just spending all my time serving on a ship and not really getting to leave said ship. Also considering that, if you had offered this to me and I was, let's say, thirty-seven, then that would mean, after my death at sea, I would have lived one hundred thirty-seven years, which is much longer by twenty years." He looked up at Jones with a shrug and Jones' mouth twitched as he stood upright, glaring at the boy.

"Will ye serve or not?" Jones asked in irritation.

"Can I just sit in the brig till I make a decision?"

"No!"

"Oh, then, no, I'd rather not end up like this guy." Matthew pointed a thumb to the hammerhead man behind him as an example. Jones grinned evilly at Matthew which sent a chill down his spine.

"To the depths," Jones ordered Matthew's captor.

"Excuse me?" Matthew called to Jones as he began walking away. "I don't think so." He drew his sword and stopped the hammerhead man from slitting his throat then ducked the blade of a blowfish man, who tried to cut off head. Matthew spun his blade around and took a defensive position as the sea-creature men surrounded Matthew.

"Down on your marrow bones and pray!" a man with sea-weed and muscle hair shouted. He swung a ball and chain at him and Matthew ducked out of the way with stealth-like grace.

"Well I can't very well get down and pray if you don't give me a chance!" Matthew called sarcastically. The muscled haired creature swung his weapon at Matthew again, but he only ducked out of the way again. But he didn't watch where he was moving and in ducking one creature, bumped into Davy Jones who grabbed him by the throat with his crab-claw hand. Jones lifted Matthew by the neck, choking him and causing him to drop his sword.

"You are a skilled young man," Jones observed.

"Thank you, Sir," Matthew choked out, sarcastically.

"You may not _want_ to serve my crew, but you _will_." Jones threw Matthew across the deck, making is crew howl with laughter. "Welcome to the crew, lad!"

Matthew coughed and hacked for breath as Jones turned to another creature that had a hermit crab shell over his head.

"To the brig," he barked. "Show our new cabin boy the security of our cells."

The crew laughed again and the hermit crab-headed creature gripped Matthew's arm to pull him to his feet.

"Hey!" Matthew coughed as he was walked to the brig. "You don't even want to know who my captain is on that sip you tried to blow up?!"

"Would it make a difference to your fate, son?" Jones replied. "Very well. Who is the captain of the _Cruel Mistress_?"

"Captain Krystal Robyn!" Matthew called. Jones and his crew fell silent at the name and Matthew looked around in confusion.

"_It was a desperate attempt_," he thought. "_One that seems to have worked. Jones seems a bit scared_."

"Krystal Robyn?" Jones finally asked and Matthew nodded making Jones straighten and smirk. "Well, she survived Conrad's attack on her beloved _Phantom Pirate_, eh?"

Matthew nodded again, even though he didn't know what Jones was talking about.

"How do _you_ know her?" Matthew asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I know everyone on the sea!" Jones boomed. "Every captain, every sailor…I know them all!"

"Obviously," Matthew retorted. "But I asked 'how?'"

"None of your business," Jones snarled. "To the brig!"

The hermit crab-headed man gripped Matthew's arm again and dragged him into the brig. Matthew struggled a bit, but it was no use. The creature shoved Matthew into a cell, and locked it.

"Hey!" Matthew called as he walked away. The creature stopped to turn and look at Matthew. "Can I get something to eat? Maybe some calamari or something?"

The creature howled with laughter and walked away to the deck.

"So you're going to ask the cook, right?"

The creature kept laughing and walking away.

"That's ok! I'll wait!"

"Your sense of humor is wasted, son," a deep, raw voice called to Matthew in the cell. He spun around and looked around his cell.

"Who's there?!" he shouted. He heard some crackled and crunches to his left, and shot his gaze to the far wall. He saw a man with unnaturally pale skin and a starfish stuck to his face. "Who are you?"

"Name's 'Bootstrap' Bill Turner," the man replied. "Who are you?"

"Matthew. But I'm hoping to get a better name soon." He walked toward Bootstrap Bill, cautiously. "So, how'd _you_ get here?"

"I was strapped to a cannon and thrown into the sea. You?"

"I almost drowned after falling overboard. Jonsey tried to get me to swear an oath to this ship and him. But I showed him my sword talents and he's going to keep me as a cabin boy."

"So young," Bill sighed in sadness. "So young to be bound to this ship."

"Well, thank you, Bootsy. But I'm not really bound to the _Dutchman_. I didn't say I'd serve him. _He_ told _me_ that I was going to be the cabin boy. I never said I'd serve, ever."

Bill suddenly chuckled, making Matthew frown at him in confusion.

"You sound like Jack Sparrow," Bill noticed. Matthew's eyes lit up and he sat in front of Bill on the floor.

"Really?! I remind you of Jack Sparrow?!"

"You _want_ to be like him?" Bill asked with a curious look.

"He's my idol! My captain speaks very highly of him. She was…_is_ in love with him."

"Krystal Robyn?" Bill guessed, his eyes widening in surprise.

"_Everyone_ knows her, don't they?!" Matthew said in exasperation, rolling his eyes and throwing his arms in the air. "How do _you_ know her?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow was the captain of the _Black Pearl_, and I was part of the crew as well as Krystal. We didn't find out about her until she saved Jack's life. He almost drowned from being too drunk. He taught her everything she knows about pirating. She was his protégé, if you will."

"_She's_ teaching _me_, now!" Matthew grinned.

"Where is she going?"

"Isla de Asesino, to find Killer Kan and rescue her first mate's wife. She probably still heading there."

"Why didn't she come back for you, do you think?"

"Because Jasmine is more important. If _I_ were captain, I would have trusted _her_ to get out of a situation like mine at this moment. I didn't expect her to turn back for me."

Bill nodded in understanding and leaned his head back.

"I think I remember her talking about a young man whose name was Turner," Matthew recalled, and Bill lifted his head again. "William Turner?"

"My son," Bill breathed. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine, so she told me. He's going to rescue Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker with a man named Barbossa and his fiancé, Elizabeth and Tia Dalma."

Bill sighed in sadness again.

"May God be with him," he prayed.

"Sorry, mate," Matthew answered. "I don't think God's got anything to do with it."

Bill looked at him curiously.

"You don't believe in God?"

"If there _is_ a big guy up there then he doesn't care about us pirates. The sea is ruled by Davy Jones, the winds belong to the weather and ships are sailed by man and pirates. If there _is_ a God then why am I here?"

"Maybe God _wants_ you here," Bill replied to Matthew's rhetorical question. "Perhaps you're _meant_ to be here."

"Well, it's a horrible way to get me here! I mean, why did I have to fight immortal fish-faces just to and up in the brig of this slimy ship?!"

"God works in mysterious ways," Bill replied again.

"Whatever. All I know is I'm here now, and I'll end up fighting my way out soon. Hopefully."

There was a loud clang on the iron bars of the cell, making Matthew and Bill jump. They saw the blowfish faced man standing outside the cell.

"Come on out, you little weevil!" he shouted at Matthew. "Captain wants you to bring him some food!"

Matthew sighed and stood up, but before he could get to the door, Bill gripped his wrist, making Matthew look at him in confusion.

"You're meant to be here," Bill whispered. "At least temporarily."

"Well," Matthew smirked. "I hope temporary will be done soon."

**A/N:** I didn't realize it until Matthew was thrown into the brig that he _is_ a bit like Jack Sparrow...ok, more than a bit, but I didn't realize it until then, and to be quite honest, it was not my intention to make that way, it just happened. Anyways...what y'all think? A bit of comedy for an otherwise desperate situation. Matty did a pretty good job, eh? Reviews please!


	6. Sirens

**A/N: **And here is the next chapter. Sorry it took so long, but it's here now! I was upset they didn't put sirens or merfolk in _any_ of the Pirates movies, so I provided them in this story. Hope you like! Enjoy!

_**Chapter 6: Sirens**_

"_John!" Jasmine called desperation. "Help me! Please!"_

"_Jasmine!" John shouted, reaching for her as they floated in darkness. "Hold on! I'm trying! Reach for me!"_

_Jasmine reached for him, trying to grasp his hands, but an invisible force pulled her away and she disappeared._

"_No! Jasmine!"_

"Jasmine!" John shouted, sitting straight up in his hammock, making it swing with movement, which sent him to the floor with startled shout and a thud. He groaned in pain and sat up slowly, rubbing his head and shoulder.

"Jasmine," he whispered. "I'm coming. And I swear, I'll get you back from that bilge rat, if I have to kill him with my own hands."

"You prepared to take a man's life, son?" Scab wondered, lying in his own hammock. John looked up at the old man as he stared back at him in the darkness of the below deck.

"For Jasmine, I would do _anything_!" John whispered so as not to disturb the rest of the crew.

"'Anything' covers a lot of things. Including killing," Scab whispered back.

"I just said I would kill, didn't I?! I'll do _anything_ for her!"

"You ever kill, John?"

John shook his head.

"Then you wouldn't know how it feels to watch a man's light go out."

"What difference does it make?! When I need to, I'll kill. It's that simple! I'm skilled in fighting and sword play."

"It's a burden having a man's blood on your hands, lad. A burden no one as young as you should have to bear."

"Not if their blood is spilled for a good reason. Or if they're an evil person."

"Evil is a point of view. One person may call him evil, another would call him a saint."

"Alright, but what if he's killed for a good reason?"

"Revenge? Is that a good reason?"

"He kidnapped my wife, Scab," John hissed as he stood up. "He's not getting away with that." He walked away toward the stairs to the walk above deck. As he emerged from below deck, he gazed around the dark deck, seeing only the watchman on deck. He walked to the starboard side and leaned on the railing with a sigh.

"Mr. Stewart?" the watchman called, softly. John looked up at him. "Can't sleep, sir?"

"Bad dreams," John replied, leaning back on the railing.

"What pirate _doesn't_ have those, eh?" he joked. John said nothing. He only stared up at the sky. "Moon is full tonight."

"Aye," John sighed.

"Means the tide is with us," the sailor guessed. "We'll be at our island in no time. Morning, most likely."

"Most likely," John echoed.

"Sailor!" Krystal suddenly called from her cabin door in a stern voice. "You're relieved, lad. Go get some rest."

"Aye," the sailor nodded weakly, Sleep weighing on him. "Thank ye, ma'am." He disappeared into the hatch John had come from as Krystal walked toward John and stood next him while he still gazed up at the sky.

"So," he finally said. "You ever gonna tell me what the information is that you have Kan?"

Krystal sat up on the railing and spun around to face the ocean.

"No," she chirped.

"You don't trust me?" he wondered, seriously.

"No, I don't," she replied flatly. John shot a look of shock at Krystal as she gazed at the sea, not expecting the answer he had just been given.

"What?!"

"Not in your frame of mind, right now, John. As long as Jasmine's missing, you'll be unfit to judge clearly. That's why I want you to stay here when we reach Isla do Asesino." Krystal looked at him as he stared at her in wide-eyed shock then she looked back at the sea. "You're hell-bent on revenge, John. Your anger isn't going to help. Never attack in anger. If you can prove to me that you can keep a clear head, then I'll let you go with us when I go ashore, but my leverage will stay a secret."

"Ma'am," John said, turning to lean forward on the railing. "With all due respect, I've _had_ a clear head this whole time."

"Really?!" Krystal laughed, looking at him again. "Is _that_ why you tried a suicidal jump over board, eh? Not to mention your little temper tantrums of the past few days?"

John started to say something, but stopped himself. He and Krystal looked back out toward the ocean, one secretly mourning the death of her love, the other praying his was well. Krystal looked down below her and saw a shadow swimming below her feet in the dark water.

"_What is that?_" she thought. She and John suddenly heard a song, wordless and beautiful. "_Sirens!_"

"Mr. Stewart--!" she called turning to him, but he was acting as though drunk.

"Brilliant." She spun around and slipped off the railing, John stumbling around as the boat began to rock back and forth.

"I suppose it's a _good_ thing women aren't affected be them…" She saw John fall onto the deck on his back, unconscious. "But I'd _sure_ like to have my first mate right about now!"

The boat rocked to the left and Krystal stumbled toward the port side, grunting in pain as she hit the railing.

"Now would be a good time to get control of your ship, love," Transparent Jack suddenly advised, sitting up on the railing next to her.

"Really, Jack?!" Krystal replied sarcastically. "Because _I_ was just going to ask the Singer Fish up here for tea!" Krystal ran off to tie up a few loose lines she spied to keep yard arms and booms from swinging the ship off balance.

"No need to get snippy, deary," Jack retorted. "Just a helping hand I am."

"You would be a lot more help if you actually here!"

The ship rocked again.

"Watch the boom, love!"

Krystal ducked as the boom swung toward her. She felt the wind on her back and turned to the breeze with a smile.

"If I can catch this wind we can out-sail the Singer Fish!" she thought out loud, running to the helm and Jack suddenly stood next to her when she reached it.

"Good idea, love," he complimented. "But how are you gonna unfurl half your sails from here?"

Krystal looked up and realized that half the sails were in fact furled up, not being able to catch any enough wind to sail out of reach of the Sirens' voices. She growled in agitation and ran back down the stairs, toward the mizzenmast. Suddenly, the helm spun out of control and she looked back in confusion, trying to decide what to do first: Control her ship or unfurl the sails? The Sirens' song continued.

"Is there _any_ felicity in the world superior to this?!" Krystal shouted in frustration at the sky. She suddenly felt something crawl up her and looked down to see Nemo clinging to her breeches. She quickly picked him up in her hands and grinned at him.

"Nemo! You're going to be my furry little savior!" She looked up at the furled sails and pointed at them. "You see the sails? You go and unfurl them for me, like I taught you." She placed him on the deck again and he ran to the main mast. She ran back to the helm and gripped it, beginning to struggle with it to on course. Nemo climbed up to one of the sails and pulled at the ropes and Krystal pulled at the helm to steer the ship correctly, but the wheel fought.

"You trained that furry thing well," Jack grinned about Nemo.

"I told you he'd come in handy once I trained him," Krystal replied, still struggling with the helm. The song became louder and Krystal began to feel a bit sleepy, but shook it off.

"Quaté!" she shouted. A sail suddenly unfurled and Krystal saw Nemo scamper off to unfurl another one. "Good. Just one more. I don't need _all_ of them, just one more…"

The wind blew a bit stronger but the Sirens' song continued. Another sail soon unfurled.

"Come back down, Nemo! Good work!" She saw Nemo starting to climb down again, and the sails swelled full with the wind following them.

"Brilliant, love," Jack smiled. "Now what do you plan to do about them?" He held a hand out toward the deck. Krystal looked down and saw two creatures with grinning, sharp-toothed smiles and sharp claws for nails, and bluish scaly skin sitting on the deck of her ship.

"Not good," she sighed and suddenly realized the helm was free and she was able to move it smoothly.

"_Well_," she thought. "_At least __that's__ working now_." She cleared her throat, straightened and walked calmly down the stairs.

"Ladies," she smiled. "I'm assuming that's what you are." She walked between the doors of her cabin and the Sirens. "I am captain of this fine vessel. What is your wish?"

"We have a message," the sirens replied together. "A message from another dimension."

"And you decided to deliver it in a most complicated way. Knocking my crew out and leaving me to pilot my ship alone. Not in very good taste, I think, but if it's how _you_ run things--"

"Silence!" the two shouted, but Krystal didn't flinch and instead, nodded.

"Very well," Krystal replied. "What's the message? Who's it from?"

"It is from Jack Sparrow," the sirens replied. Krystal stared at them in shock and disbelief, but they also lit up a bit.

"Jack?" she breathed. "What did he say?!"

The sirens each clapped their hands together then lifted them in the air and as they parted them, two bubbles formed, which floated toward Krystal and melded into one. In the bubble, she could see Jack, staring at her. The bubble soon grew bigger and transformed into an image of Jack, standing in front of her.

"Hello, love," he smiled. "As you can imagine, this is going to be a 'one-sided' conversation. "As you probably know, I've been sent to dear old, Octopus-face's Locker. You must be worried about me, eh?"

Krystal nodded, knowing full well it was only an image of him but not being able to keep herself from starting to cry.

"No need to fret, love. As soon as I get my ship into water here I'll soon be sailing back to you, and _this_ time I won't let you go. Oh, and in case you didn't find this out, your dear little sister killed me. No hard feelings."

Krystal scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Wish I could see you, love. Good thing for me these Scaly Tails found me or you'd have never seen me till I came back, eh?"

Krystal giggled.

"Oh, times up, love. Gotta go…"

"No," Krystal breathed, sorrow draping over her face. "Jack…" She reached toward him but her hand went through the mirage.

"I love you, Krystal. See you soon."

"Jack!" she cried, but the picture vanished, and she stared at the horizon blankly. The Sirens were gone, the boat had stopped moving and she saw their destination in the rising sunlight.

"Good bye, Jack," she breathed as she clutched her locket, a single tear running down her cheek. "I love you, too."

**A/N: **ok, so i totally feel bad for Krystal through this whole story! I was crying when i wrote some of these chapters! including this one! Review please!


	7. Isla de Asesino

_**Chapter 7: Isla de Asesino**_

Krystal stood on the bow of the long boat as it bumped onto the shore and she jumped down onto the beach. Two members jumped out of the boat as well, and another boat pulled up alongside it, with John and two more men. John jumped out of the boat and stood next to Krystal as Nemo jumped onto her shoulder from her boat.

"Remember, Mr. Stewart," Krystal ordered sternly, drawing her sword. "Follow my orders to the letter, and I swear we'll get Jasmine back."

John nodded, drawing his sword as well and the other four men did the same.

"Keep that temper in check."

"Aye, Captain," John replied. They trudged up the beach and into the jungle, the sun rising above the horizon of the sea in the east.

"Why is it that every island we visit that involves a villain or enemy of ours is fog ridden?" John asked in a whisper.

"Because it's how it is, mate," Krystal whispered back. "Every villainous island _must_ have fog." She smirked as John chuckled. Her attempt to lighten _his_ mood had worked. The group crept through the jungle until they reached a little house that had sliding doors and a flat roof. Krystal looked at John and he nodded then took his two men off to sneak around the back of the house. Krystal and her men crept closer to the house, still hidden in the bushes.

"_No guards_," she thought. "_That's odd. You'd think he'd at least have watchmen. But...if he knew I was coming..._" She sighed and sheathed her sword, making her men look at her curiously.

"Something wrong, Captain?" one of the men asked in a whisper.

"Sheath your swords, men," she replied, but not in a whisper.

"I _am_ such a tonto," she hissed at herself. "Of _course_ he knew we were coming, and like a coward, he fled." She emerged from the bushes and marched toward the door.

"_I suppose I shouldn't be surprised_," she thought. "_After all, where else would his brother get __his__ skill, if not from him?_" She slid the door open to the house and saw John kneeling down in front of a chair, ropes scattered around the floor and he held one in his hand.

"They're not here," he said in low voice.

"I see that, Mr. Stewart," Krystal replied, stepping into the room. "Well, boys, find anything of value you like, if he's left us anything."

"Aye, Captain!" cheered the four sailors and they ran around the house, looking for spoils.

"Captain, there's something on the chair…I think it's for you," John said. Krystal walked up next to him and saw a ring sitting on the chair.

"That's strange," Krystal replied, picking it up and examining it.

"Everything about this is strange," John retorted, looking around the room, still kneeling. "Killer Kan doesn't _look_ Japanese. Neither did Reynolds, and Reynolds isn't a Japanese name."

"They grew up there," Krystal replied, stooping next the chair and still staring at the ring. "They weren't exactly _born_ there." She held the ring up to the light flooding in from the windows.

The ring was silver, with a blue stone in the center and the stone looked like it had a white star in the center of it. On either side of the blue stone were three diamonds that sparkled in the sunlight.

"Why do you suppose he left it?" John wondered, standing and looking at the ring.

"Probably a token of his favor," Krystal shrugged, sarcastically. "He does that for his enemies when he teases them like this. But, your guess is as good as mine." She slipped the ring onto her left index finger easily.

"Perfect fit!" she smiled.

"Now what," John asked.

"Now?" Krystal sighed. "Now we have to find Killer Kan…again."

Once again, the tattoo on her left arm started glowing, but this time it glowed blue, not green. Krystal lifted her arm and pulled her sleeve up. Blue beams of light shot to the ceiling and dimmed down to show an image above hers and John's heads.

"Again?!" John exclaimed. "What's it showing now?!"

Krystal was silent, but she wasn't staring at the image, she was staring at the ring she had just put on. It was glowing. The white star was glowing its color and the stone shone blue.

"Captain! It's Martinique!"

Krystal looked at the image and saw another island. An island she knew.

"That it is, Mr. Stewart," she smirked in triumph. "He's taking us there. That's where he'll spring his trap."

Nemo stared at the ring and hissed angrily at the thing, making Krystal look at him in shock.

"What's wrong with _you_, eh?" she asked. The lemur hissed again, this time looking at the image.

"Captain, what's that?!" Krystal looked back at the image and saw Kan walking along the shore of a beach, and exotic white tiger walking next to him. Behind them was a blonde woman dressed in the proper pirate attire. On her head was a red sash that accented her eyes and kept her hair out of her face. She wore a white linen shirt with a black vest and gray breeches with tall, light brown boots.

"Jasmine," Krystal breathed for John. "Her hands are bound. You see the rope leading from Kan's hand to hers? And her head is bowed." She looked at John. "She's still his prisoner."

"I know!" John snapped. "You think I can't see that?!"

"It's supposed to assure you!" Krystal replied. "_His_ prisoners sometimes end up becoming his friends!"

"Why didn't you tell me that before?!"

"I didn't want to worry you!" Krystal looked back at the image.

_The King and his men stole the Queen from her bed  
__And bound her in her bones_

"He's singing?!" John questioned, astonished. "Why?!"

"He thinks he's won," Krystal replied. Kan looked at Krystal from the image as he had the first time and Krystal began singing herself.

_The seas be ours and by the powers  
__Wherever we will…we'll roam_

The image panned to the tiger, who looked at Krystal as her master had done, and roared, making Nemo hiss again. The image turned into a beam of light and disappeared again. Krystal looked at her tattoo and once again the picture had changed. The serpent was biting the dragon's tail.

"What's _that_ mean?" John wondered, coming up next to Krystal.

"He's done taunting," she said, lowering her sleeve over her arm. He's struck me once, but there will _not_ be a second time." She looked at John and he looked back at her in confusion. "Go look for spoils. Help the men get anything of value to the ship. Kan's bound to have _some_ riches here."

John nodded but couldn't help asking, "What about you?"

"I'll catch up with you. I have to think."

John nodded again and walked into another room. Krystal sighed and in the chair, pulling Nemo off her shoulder and placing him in her lap, scratching his head.

"Well, now I know he has his tiger," she thought aloud. "There were rumors, but I didn't think they were true." She lifted Nemo in the air to look at him. "Which means _you're_ the one, too."

"You weren't sure, love?" Transparent Jack chuckled, standing behind her.

"I had my suspicions, but I didn't think it was true."

"You didn't _want_ it to be true, you mean."

"That too," Krystal sighed, placing Nemo back in her lap. "If he gets Nemo, he'll be able to tell the future using that cat."

"Which is what he wants."

"But I need my bosun back."

"What's _he_ got to do with it?"

"Nothing. He's part of my crew, that's all."

"How you gonna get him back?"

"Leverage, dear Jack. Kan will have to give me Jasmine back, _and_ help me get Matthew back from Davy Jones, or I shan't give Nemo. That is, I won't let him _use_ him to predict the future."

"Excellent plan, love. You're starting to think like me!"

"Unfortunately," Krystal scoffed.

--

John had been crouched behind one of the sliding doors and heard everything she had said. He had no idea who exactly she was talking to until he heard her say "Jack."

"_She must be mad!_" he thought. "_Jack is dead! She's lost her mind! Though, it __is__ a good plan, but that lemur is her friend. Would she really give it up for my love and a crew member?!_"

The door he was hiding behind suddenly slid open more and he jumped, scrambling to his feet. There, standing in front of him, was his captain with her pet on her shoulder, playing with its tail.

"Been there long, Mr. Stewart?" Krystal smirked.

"Well," John began. "Well, Captain. You see…I was only--"

Krystal raised her hand to silence him.

"No doubt you heard my plan?"

John nodded then bowed his head in shame.

"As long as you're honest with me, John, I won't hurt you," she smirked again. "I know you heard me speaking to myself, but I acted as though speaking to Jack. It makes me feel better when I make believe I'm talking to him, though I know he's not there."

"I understand," John sighed in relief then looked at her in concern. "Captain, will you _really_ give your pet to a man like Killer Kan?"

"I said I would let him _use_ Nemo," Krystal smirked. "I'd have to be completely daft to let him _keep_ my furry friend." She cuddled Nemo to her cheek.

"But how?" John asked.

"You leave it to me," Krystal replied. "Remember, you just worry about following my orders. Bien?"

John nodded.

"Good. Now, let's get back to the ship." The two walked outside and saw the four men they had brought with them waiting, their arms filled with oriental ornaments.

"Seems he had a large stash in the back, Captain," one of the men grinned.

"Good," Krystal nodded. "We'll bury it in Martinique." She walked back into the bushes and led her men back into the jungle and to the ship. As they walked through the jungle, she clutched the locket Jack had given her a single tear flowing down her cheek and she sang softly.

_Yo ho  
__Haul together  
__Hoist the colours high  
__Heave ho  
__Thieves and beggars  
__Never say we die_

**A/N:** I know, I'm horrible to Krystal. Making her cry and all...lol! Reviews please?


	8. Villain Unmasked

**A/N:** and sorry again because this took so long. enjoy!

_**Chapter 8: Villain Unmasked**_

"Enjoying the sunrise, Pick-Pocket Jasmine?" Kan asked, walking along the shore with Mariko, his tiger, by his side and Jasmine led by a rope around her hands trailing behind.

"My name is not 'Pick-Pocket' Jasmine!" she snapped back. "It's just 'Jasmine'! And, no, I'm _not_ enjoying the sunrise!"

"Too bad," Kan sighed. "Isn't beautiful, Mariko?"

The cat purred and licked her nose to keep it moist.

"Why did you that ring for Krystal?" Jasmine asked, keeping the subject off of his tiger.

"That is for me to know and for _you_ to never find out."

"If you don't want to tell me, you can just say so. You don't have to speak in riddles."

"Fine. I gave it to her because it will lead her to me. It will lead her to her doom."

Jasmine scoffed at his threat as she thought, "_Obviously he doesn't know her that well_."

Suddenly she saw something splash in the ocean out of the corner of her eyes then heard some sort of song coming from the sea, wordless and beautiful. Kan stopped and turned to the horizon.

"Ah, right on time," he cooed, walking to the edge of the water. Two mermaid like creatures crawled toward him and Jasmine impulsively ducked behind him, realizing what they were.

"Have you delivered your message?" Kan asked, addressing the Sirens. "Are you ready to do _my_ work, now?"

"We do work that we _wish_ to do," the Sirens replied together. "Not the work we are _told_ to do. You intrigue us, Killer Kan. Therefore, we will do your work."

"Perfect!" Kan's eyes lit up, evilly. "I want you to follow someone of importance to me. I'm sure you are familiar with Captain Krystal Robyn, yes?"

The Sirens glanced at each other in uncertainty. Kan assumed they feared her, but Jasmine didn't see fear in their eyes. She saw worry.

"I'm afraid we do not know of the person you speak," they lied, as far as Jasmine could tell.

"Well, no matter," Kan replied, dismissively. "You _will_. She is beautiful and the only female captain I've encountered. Her ship is…" He trailed off in thought then looked over his shoulder at Jasmine, who still hid behind him. "What as it again?"

"The _Cruel Mistress_," Jasmine told the Sirens.

"_Idiot!_" she thought. "_That's the __second__ time I've betrayed her! Why didn't I just make up a name?!_"

"That's it!" Kan confirmed happily, turning back to the Sirens. "The _Cruel Mistress_! Follow her, report on her whereabouts every night. Ikimasu?"

The sirens nodded.

"Good," Kan nodded then turned to Jasmine. "Think I can leave you her without you trying to escape?"

"Where am I going to go?!" Jasmine retorted. "We're on an island!"

Kan chuckled and untied her wrists from his lead rope then continued walking the shore. Jasmine looked at the Sirens, who were about to swim back into the ocean.

"Wait! Please!" she called and they Sirens stopped to turn to her. "Why did you say you didn't know Krystal?"

"Because we do _not_," they insisted.

"Tien ta-da gui! _Anybody_ who's _anybody_ knows Captain Krystal Robyn!"

The Sirens looked at each other in worry again and Jasmine sighed as she sat down in the sand, closing in on them.

"Look, I won't tell the masked menace over there what you told me. I'm his prisoner. I wouldn't tell him _anything_."

"Very well," the Sirens nodded, sensing that Jasmine was telling the truth. "We know Krystal Robyn. When she is in _our_ part of the seas, we look after her. We trust her deeply."

"You know her, and you're protecting her? Do you know what Kan is planning against her?"

The Sirens shook their heads.

"He's planning to kill her."

The Sirens hissed in anger at the truth.

"What will you do now?"

"Kan has proved himself distrustful!" they hissed. "We will _not_ go along with him!"

"You guys are bog on trust," Jasmine smirked. "We'll have to act like you don't know anything about his real plans. Will you help me with _my_ plan?"

The Sirens grinned and nodded.

"Good! Now, let's see. Maybe, you can give him _false_ reports every day and tell _me_ the truth. I'm part of her crew, you see. My husband is her first mate." Jasmine sighed, depressed. "I wish I knew if he was alright."

"We just saw Krystal Robyn this morning," the Sirens said and Jasmine's eyes lit up. "They were approaching Isla de Asesino. They will have reached it by now."

"At least now I know he _has_ to be alright. Kan didn't leave any of his men there." Jasmine crawled closer to the Sirens to whisper to them. "Could you do something else for me? Would you give my husband a message from me?"

"His name?"

"John Stewart?"

They nodded and asked, "What is your message?"

--

Kan walked along the shore with Mariko by his side. His mind wandered s he held his hands behind his back. He thought about his brother, about how he would take his revenge on Krystal and about his prisoner, Jasmine.

Jasmine. His thoughts lingered on that subject. Her flowing, golden hair, her strange yet enchanting ruby red eyes, her perfect form. Unfortunate that she was married. Or was it? After all, she _was_ his prisoner. He could follow his desires with her if he wanted to.

No. He may have wanted her, but he could wait. There was a job to be done first. After he killed all others on the _Cruel Mistress_, he would take what he wanted from the ship, _and_ her crew.

"Mariko," he smiled, scratching the cat's head. "When this is over, you'll get some fresh meat and _I'll_ have a new ship." He saw his current ship, the _Black Tide_ anchored a few leagues away from shore. His ship _was_ grand, fast and reliable, but she wasn't getting any younger. The holes in her sails, the patches on them, and the holes in her hull were proof of that.

"She's been through a lot," Kan whispered to himself about his ship. Suddenly, Mariko looked behind them and ran back toward the place Kan had left Jasmine and he turned to her with a frown.

"Mariko?"

The cat still ran.

"Mariko!" Kan ran after her. She ran toward Jasmine, who was facing the sea. Kan noticed the flick of the Sirens' tails disappearing into the water and realized that something must have happened between the three.

Jasmine turned, seeing Mariko running toward her with Kan following behind. She put her hands and Mariko pounced onto her, toppling her to the ground with a scream. Mariko roared at Jasmine who screamed again in terror.

"Mariko! Chakuseki!" Kan ordered, but the cat didn't move. He reached the two and wrapped his arms around Mariko's neck, pulled her off of Jasmine then helped Jasmine up by pulling her up by her arms. "Are you alright?"

"I didn't do anything!" Jasmine cried. "Why did you sick your cat on me?!"

"I didn't!" Kan growled defensively. "She ran at you on her own! But perhaps I _should_ have ordered her toward you! Apparently you were speaking to the Sirens about something!"

Jasmine yanked herself from his grasp.

"I was not!" she lied, but Kan couldn't tell if she was telling the truth of not.

"Mark me," he growled lowly. "If you interfere with my plans, Mariko will feast on hat lovely body of yours."

"You think you scare me?!" Jasmine shouted, trying to be brave. "You don't scare me! I stopped being afraid of you when we left Isla de Asesino! That proved to me that you are a coward, just like Krystal told me your brother was!"

That sent Kan fuming and he raised his hand, bringing it down on her face with the back of his hand. Jasmine fell back, turning with the impact of the slap and landing face down in the sand.

"You will _not_ call I, nor my brother, cowards!" Kan spat as Jasmine sat up, spitting sand out of her mouth. "You don't know _anything_ about who he was or who I am!"

"If you want Krystal dead so badly, why don't you just sail out and meet her?! Face to face! Hand to hand combat!"

"Because I want her to chase me! I want her to enjoy herself before she dies!"

"How compassionate a killer you are!" Jasmine retorted sarcastically. "I suppose that before you feed me to your cat you'll 'enjoy yourself' with me first?!"

"The thought had crossed my mind!" Kan spat, and his eyes suddenly reflected shock at his own words as Jasmine gasped.

"What did you tell the Sirens?" he demanded, changing the subject as his eyes stared her down.

"Why?" Jasmine asked, defiantly.

"Because if you tell me I'll let Mariko have her way with you!"

"I didn't tell them anything," she muttered. "Only that I wanted them to tell my husband I was well, nothing else."

Kan gripped a clump of her hair and pulled her up, looking her in the eyes as she howled in pain.

"If you're lying to me, you _will_ die," he growled through clenched teeth. Jasmine said nothing, but suddenly had an idea. She scratched him across his cheek, taking his mask off, and it landed in the sand.

Jasmine got a first look at her captor. He was rather handsome, with a square jaw and had white and gold teeth. She saw _why_ he wore the mask as well. Along the left side of his jaw was a large fleshy scar in the shape of a "P." She gasped and Kan threw her to the ground again.

"Satisfied?!" Kan growled. "Yes! I ran into the East India Trading Company! How?! I was searching for my brother when they caught up to me! Is your curiosity satisfied?!"

Mariko roared as Kan walked to pick up his mask. Jasmine only stared at him in shock and fear as he put on his mask.

"What's your _real_ name?" Jasmine asked a bit involuntary.

"Why?" Kan snarled.

"Just curious."

"My name…" He hesitated then turned to Jasmine fully. "My name is Allen Conrad."

**A/N:** dont ask me why, i just thought that him telling her his real name wood be dramatic for some reason. hey, i wrote this a while ago, ok? anywho, i figured i needed a villain who had a bit of a soft spot, ya no? they need to look weak _sometimes_. lol! reviews please!


	9. Game of Deception

**A/N: **and heres the next chapter! enjoy!

_**Chapter 9: Game of Deception**_

Matthew carried a tray of small live hermit crabs in a jar and another jar of leeches toward the Captain's cabin.

It had been a few days since he had "boarded" the _Flying Dutchman_, and he was serving as a cabin boy. He knew his captain would go after Kan and Jasmine first, so it was no surprise that it was taking so long for her to get to _him_.

Matthew reached the cabin doors and the creature with a hermit shell on his head opened the doors to let him in. He stepped in, seeing the captain of the vessel at an organ, playing it in time with a small locket on its shelf. Matthew cleared his throat, indicating to Davy Jones that he was there.

"What?!" Jones barked, still playing.

"Your dinner, Sir," Matthew replied, not intimidated by the octopus-man-thing. "Hermit crabs and with a hint of water and leeches with a dash of slime."

"Leave it on the table over there and get out!" Matthew walked to the table to his left and placed the tray down, taking a glance at his current captain as he played the organ with his tentacles on his face and his right hand and left claw. Jones concluded the song, and Matthew stood straight and clapped.

"Very beautiful, Sir! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Didn't I tell you to get out?!" Jones boomed, turning to Matthew.

"Yes, you did, but I have a question that's been bugging me a bit ever since I came onto this ship."

"I'm not telling you how I know Krystal Robyn, lad. So stop bugging me about it!" Jones limped to the table and shoved Matthew out of the way. Matthew caught himself and clasped his hands together.

"Please, oh please? I'll be so good and won't ask you anything anymore! Please, oh please?!"

"Out!" Jones roared again, pointing his claw to the door. Matthew jumped back then placed his hands together and bowed.

"As you wish," he said, and walked out on deck. As he exited the cabin, someone, or rather, some_thing_ grabbed his arm, yanked him to the right, and shoved him against the railing, almost sending him overboard.

"Alright you little weevil!" the slimy, unidentifiable bosun shouted at Matthew. "What did ye do to the captain _this_ time?!"

"Heard him yell, did you?" Matthew retorted. "I didn't do anything, really. Just the usual…Asking him how he knows _my_ captain, ticking him off with my breathing and all."

The bosun let go of Matthew's shirt and he straightened it out.

"Next time, be careful with how you pull at me shirt, eh? This is my finest and _only_ shirt."

"I'd like to see it stained with your blood!" the bosun retorted.

"Well, now it's stained with _your slime_!" Matthew spat just as quickly. The bosun looked at his hands then back at Matthew.

"You impudent little---!"

"_Little_?! I beg to differ!"

The bosun roared at Matthew and raised his whip, but it was stopped by a crab claw and Matthew swallowed as he saw his current captain holding the bosun back from whipping Matthew.

"There's a better way to settle this, bosun," Jones grinned evilly, sending Matthew's blood to run cold. Jones let go of the bosun's hand, and limped slightly toward Matthew, shoving his slimy, green, octopus tentacle-bearded face in front of Matthew's. "How about we play a little game, lad?"

"A---" Matthew choked then swallowed. "A game?"

"Aye," the bosun grinned, knowing what his captain was planning. "A game! Excellent idea, Captain!"

Jones chuckled and stood up straight. He took Matthew's wrist in his slimy, tentacle hand and dragged him to the galley, followed by the bosun and the rest of the crew.

"Hey! Wait! What kind of game?!" Matthew questioned, sitting on a stool forcibly by Jones. The bosun sat in front of Matthew across a small table placed on a barrel between them. Jones sat on a stool to Matthew's left, grinning evilly. The hammer-headed first mate slammed a miniature barrel looking container in front of Matthew, making him jump. The captain and bosun pulled out similar objects, shook them, and slammed them down onto the table.

"_Now__ I understand_," Matthew thought. "_We're playing Liar's Dice. What shall I wager?_" He did the same with his container, hearing the rattle of the five die inside before slamming it onto the table.

"The stakes?" Jones asked Matthew.

"_What should I do?_"

"My soul," he replied, without thinking any further. "My eternal service."

"_Oh, bullocks! I didn't want to do that!_"

Jones turned to the bosun, waiting for his wager.

"Five years," the bosun replied.

"And _your_ wager?" Matthew sang at Jones. The captain thought for a moment.

"Your freedom," he said to Matthew then turned to his bosun. "Subtraction of five years of servitude for you."

"Agreed," he bosun grinned and Matthew nodded.

The three tilted their small barrels and looked at their die. Matthew had two fives, one six and three ones.

"_If I play this safe, I'll have my Octopus-face off my back about joining his crew_," he thought.

The three hid their dice again and looked at each in evaluation.

"Five fives," Matthew bid first then looked at the captain.

"Six fives," Jones grinned then the two stared at the bosun.

"Eight fives," the bosun choked a bit and Matthew knew he was lying as he stared at the young man for his next bid. Matthew leaned on the table with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Well, well," Matthew grinned. "You may talk the talk but you _certainly_ don't walk the walk, do you?"

Jones looked at Matthew curiously at that statement.

"Liar!" Matthew shouted at the bosun.

"I am not!" the bosun shouted defensively. Matthew reached across the table and revealed the bosun's dice. The bilge rat had _no_ fives at all! Three ones and two sixes lay on the table in front of the sea creature.

"Well, well," Matthew grinned, sitting back in his stool. He looked at Jones who grinned in satisfaction back at him. Jones revealed his own dice and Matthew leaned over to see them. Luckily for the young man, Jones had three fives, making his bid correct and also two twos. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief as he revealed his dice to the crew members.

"Well done, lad," Jones congratulated. "I think I'm beginning to like ye." He turned to his bosun with a scowl. "Five more years of servitude from _you_…" He turned to Matthew. "And _you_, Master Warren…" He had found out his last name. "Feel free to go ashore. Next time we make port!"

The crew howled with laughter and Matthew sighed again in exhaustion. He knew that Davy Jones only made port once every ten years, and who knew but he when _that_ will be.

"Why, thank you, sir," Matthew replied weakly, trying not to see the silver lining of this black cloud. "I'll be happy to serve you till then."

"Excellent!" Jones boomed. "But for now, to the brig, lad!"

The crew laughed again and the angry bosun yanked Matthew up by his arm. He dragged him to the brig, threw him in his cell then stormed off with a loud roar. Matthew picked himself off the floor, grinning and looking around the call.

"Bootstrap!" he cheered. "Bootstrap! You won't believe what's happened! I just won my freedom in Liar's Dice! I'm free to leave the ship any time I want!"

The cell was silent, but Matthew still searched for his only friend aboard the _Flying Dutchman_.

"Bootstrap?" he called again. "Bill? Hey! Turner! Where are you?!" He looked at a wall and saw the old man cradled in coral around him then cautiously walked toward him. It looked like he was asleep.

"_It must kill him being stuck in this cell all day_," Matthew thought. The told man stirred and his eyes shot open as his head turned toward Matthew.

"William?" he breathed.

"No, mate," Matthew corrected gently. "It's Matthew. Matthew Warren."

"Oh, that's right," Bill nodded. "I'm sorry. William's my son, you see."

"I know. My captain knows him. She saw him not too long ago. Didn't I---?"

"She did?" Bill's eyes lit up in genuine surprise. "Is he alright?"

"Yes," Matthew frowned. "Old man, quit toying with me! I told you all this already!"

"No, you never mentioned William!"

Matthew cold irritation thawed into pity.

"_He's losing his mind_," he thought. "_He's becoming part of the ship. Poor old man_."

"That's right," he said gently. "I didn't. My mistake. Sorry, Bill."

"It's alright, lad. What were you going to tell me?"

"Nothing," Matthew lied. "Go to sleep. I'm going to. Rough day, you know? With all the yelling being done at me by the captain and---" He stopped talking as he heard Bill begin to snore and snickered as he walked to a nearby bench to lay down and sleep.

"_Is that going to be me?_" he wondered. "_Am I going to be stuck here so long that I turn all coral-like?_" He cradled his head in his hands from behind. "_My captain will come for me, won't she? Captain Robyn would never leave one of her crew behind! Besides, she promised she'd teach me everything she knows about sailing and the sea and pirating! She wouldn't break her promise and leave me here...would she?_"

**A/N: **i hope this made sense. i kinda copied the sitch from the movie, but i tried to make it as different as possible. RnR?


	10. Memories and a Message

**A/N: **and the next chapter. enjoy!

_**Chapter 10: Memories and a Message**_

"_Now, love," Jack said, walking around the deck as Krystal sat on a barrel. "What is the __right__ side of the ship called?" He turned to Krystal, who was staring at the full moon high in the sky, seemingly distracted._

"_Isn't it so romantic, Jack?" she smiled, still looking at the sky. "The stars, the moon?" She got up and walked to the starboard railing. "It's 'starboard,' to answer your question."_

_Jack smirked and walked up next to her, leaning back on the railing._

_Well then, love, what about the __left__ side?"_

"_Port," Krystal sighed with a smile, turning to lean back on the railing as Jack was doing. "Why are you giving me all the __easy__ questions, Jack?"_

"_Don't want you to get overwhelmed, deary."_

_Krystal giggled._

"_What makes you think I'll be overwhelmed?"_

_Jack looked up at the sky with a smile._

"'_Tis a fine night. 'Romantic,' as you said."_

_Krystal looked at Jack, moving a bit closer to him._

"_Jack?" she called and he looked at her. "You're not…attached, are you?"_

"_No, love," Jack smirked. Krystal looked down as she twiddled her thumbs and moved closer still toward him._

"_So, it would be alright if I, I don't know..." She looked back up at him. "...if I kissed you?"_

"_Would it be alright?!" Jack grinned. He picked her up and sat her on the railing, much to her surprise. "Deary, I've been waiting to kiss you since I found out you were actually a __girl__!" He planted her lips to hers and she sighed in contentment on his lips._

Krystal, now, sighed in sadness as she sat in the brig, running her fingers along the wooden hull she leaned on, and wishing Jack was with her. She remembered their first kiss as if it had been the day before and she knew she would never forget it.

"That damned Sparrow!" she hissed, slamming her fist on the wood. "Even when he wasn't _trying_ to be charming, he was anyway!" She sighed again, leaving her head back on the bars.

"What ever possessed me to become a pirate, anyway?" Krystal wondered. "They have _so_ many problems with curses and the authorities and _other_ pirates after them. Why would I choose this kind of lifestyle?!"

She thought a moment, then chuckled, then gave a breathy laugh as she leaned her head back a bit farther.

"Oh, Jack," she laughed. "It was there, in front of me the whole time, wasn't it?"

"Freedom, love," Transparent Jack finished sitting in front of her on the floor.

"Freedom," Krystal breathed in repetition as she lifted her head. "That's right. It was _always_ freedom."

"At least we agreed on _that_," Jack smirked.

"We agreed on other things," Krystal remembered, picking up a grain of sand and flicking it across the cell. "Vacation spots."

"Food," Jack followed.

"Colors for the flag," Krystal continued, examining her nails.

"Punishments," Jack grinned, evilly.

"Romance," Krystal smirked.

"All you, there, love."

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy the attention, Jack! I know you did!"

"I didn't say that! But _you_ were the one who tried all that romantic…fluff!"

"Fluff?" Krystal smiled, raising her eyebrows in amused surprise at his choice of words.

"Fluff!" Jack repeated deliberately.

"Well, we still agreed on things."

"What else, love?"

"Rum," Krystal smirked.

"Rum," Jack grinned slowly, holding every letter of the word as long as he could.

"Jack?"

He looked at Krystal.

"When you found out I was a woman, did you _really_ want to kiss me?"

"What do _you_ think, deary?"

"Right. Stupid question. Sorry I asked."

"No. Really?"

Krystal looked at him in surprise.

"Do you think I wanted to?"

"I-I suppose. I mean, you made enough advances toward me."

Jack suddenly crawled toward her and pinned her in the corner she sat in, but she stared at him calmly.

"You think I want to kiss you _now_?"

"Oh, sure," Krystal answered, coolly. "…if you _could_."

He suddenly disappeared and all that was left in front of her was the sea breeze, howling through the planks of the ship. She sighed and leaned her head back again.

"I always ruin it, don't I?"

"Ruin what?" John called from the cell door. Krystal picked her head up and looked at him in surprise.

"Nothing," she chirped. "Just talking to Jack again."

John nodded in understanding. The two suddenly heard a song, beautiful and wordless. It called out something in whispers.

"Krystal," the first whispered.

"John," whispered another.

"_Now_ what do they want?!" Krystal demanded, standing and running above deck.

After being in the dark brig so long, the afternoon sun blinded her, and she squinted around the deck. She saw the bodies of her crew on the deck, unconscious but alive. But as she looked toward the hatch, John came up out of it and didn't seem to be at all sleepy.

"Well, at least they left you _alone_ this time!" Krystal laughed as John approached her. The ship came to a sudden stop and John and Krystal wobbled about the deck.

"They're back?" John asked, having been told about the siren's first visit already.

"Looks like," Krystal replied. The two suddenly saw the sirens on the deck of the _Cruel Mistress_, and they now faced the captain and her first mate.

"Krystal Robyn," the sirens called. "John Stewart. We have met the one you call Jasmine."

"My wife?!" John grinned. "You have news of her?! Is she alright?! Please! You must tell me!" He approached one of the Singer Fish, but it hissed and backed away slightly, baring its teeth and claws. Krystal pulled John back by the shoulder.

"They don't like being touched," she whispered then slowly approached the sirens. "Forgive him. He is rather impulsive."

The sirens nodded in understanding.

"Give him your message from Jasmine," Krystal commanded.

"But it is also for you, Krystal Robyn."

She nodded and stood next to John. The sirens clapped their hands together and upon opening them, two bubbles each were formed, which floated in front of the two crew members, and they saw Jasmine's face when the bubbles melded into one then formed into Jasmine herself.

"Jasmine…" John breathed. "I wish I could touch her."

Krystal patted his shoulder in sympathy.

"John," Jasmine whispered in frightened haste. "I haven't much time. I'm alright. He has a tiger that has an incredibly heightened sixth sense. You remember a few of the myths I told you about? The one of the white tiger with one eye of emerald and one of sapphire? Take care. He'll know you're coming for me.

"Krystal, he wants to kill you. He said that the ring he gave you will help him do that. How, I don't know. I wish I could give you more information, but I've given you all I know. I He's asked these sirens to watch you and report to him every day. But upon learning his true intentions and _my_ faithful ones, they will be giving _him_ false reports and the truth will be told to me."

She suddenly smiled, lovingly and Krystal shoved John forward a bit with her shoulder.

"John, my dear, sweet husband," Jasmine began. "Please, be careful. I wouldn't be able to live with my guilt if anything happened to you. I love you so much. Please, be careful."

"Jasmine," John breathed. "I'm coming! I promise! Jasmine!"

She disappeared, and Stewart went to embrace her, but stumbled forward and onto the deck.

"John," Krystal called firmly, still standing and gazing ahead of her. "Get up."

The sirens were gone and Krystal could see an island ahead, but it wasn't Martinique.

"Mr. Stewart! You will compose yourself this instant!"

John stood up and looked at her with watery, swollen eyes filled with anger. Krystal's stern look changed to guilt and pity.

"Compose myself?!" John shouted. "I haven't seen Jasmine, my wife, for days and you want me to _compose_ myself?!"

"John, forgive me," Krystal murmured. "It was too harsh of me."

John looked away, trying to hold back his tears so as not to show weakness in front of his captain, but his shoulders began shuddering. The crew began slowly waking up and Krystal knew John would never hear the end of it from his mates if they saw him near a break down.

"Captain?" a man asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing, mate!" Krystal lied through a grin. "Get ready to lower anchor!" She turned to John. "Come with me, John. Into my cabin with ya."

John nodded and they walked into the captain's quarters. Krystal shut the door behind them and stared at John's back as he faced the table.

"I miss her, Krystal," John mumbled. Krystal was taken aback at his use of her name. He turned and she saw him utterly pathetic, something she hoped never to see from him. His eyes were red and swollen and his cheeks were stained with tears, his nose red and puffy and face flushed.

"Oh, John," Krystal sighed. "I know you miss her. I know how you f---"

John ran at her and hugged her, crying into her shoulder.

"_As a woman, aren't __I__ the one who's supposed to be crying on __his__ shoulder?_" Krystal thought, but said nothing. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, but as he cried, she found her mind wandering to Jack, and she hugged John tighter.

"It's alright to cry sometimes, John," Krystal admitted, chocking back her own tears. "Even men need to cry sometimes. The strongest of people, too."

"Even you, Captain?" John shuddered.

"Yes," Krystal sniffled. "Even me."

"So cry," he whispered. Krystal couldn't keep her emotions together any longer and she shoved her face into John's shoulder and shuddered with sobs.

"Jack!" she sobbed.

"Jasmine!" John responded. They hugged each other close for comfort, shuddering with sobs at their lost lovers.

"Why?!" they asked God.

**A/N:** oh, im evilly dramatic with these guys. i know. im horrible to my characters...lol!


	11. Trinidad

**A/N:** and here's some humor. enjoy!

_**Chapter 11: Trinidad**_

"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?!" John asked the dark-skinned native, who only stared back at him, blankly.

"John, what makes you think he can understand English?" Krystal smiled, walking up next to him as they stood on the beach. "Especially with that accent of yours?"

John threw his hands up in exasperation and said, "I give up!"

He walked toward the three men they had brought with them and Krystal turned to the native.

"Habla Español?" she asked. The native looked behind him at a crowd of his people that had gathered.

"Mamali!" he called and a girl walked slowly towards him. She had long, jet black hair, longer than Krystal's, dark skin and amber eyes that were filled with shyness. The native man told her something in his language and the girl nodded then turned to Krystal.

"My name is Mamali," she spoke in Spanish. "My chief wishes to know who you are."

"My name is Captain Krystal Robyn," Krystal replied, also in Spanish. She turned to John and waved him over then introduced him as he came toward her. "This is my first mate, John Stewart."

John nodded to Mamali.

"We mean you no harm," Krystal continued. We only need supplies and we'll be on our way."

Mamali and her chief conversed in their native tongue again and she turned to Krystal again.

"My chief wishes to know where you are going, if it is alright to ask?"

"Martinique."

"And your reason?"

"One of my crew was kidnapped by Killer Kan."

At that name, the chief pointed his spear at Krystal and in response, John went for his sword. Krystal stopped him and shook her head as Mamali quickly translated what Krystal had said. The chief stared at Krystal, but lowered his spear and backed away, slightly then spoke in his language to Mamali again.

"What do you plan to do once you find him?" Mamali asked, obviously translating for her chief. Krystal's face became dark and John looked at her curiously, wondering what was being said to make her react that way.

"I plan to kill him," Krystal replied, solemnly. Mamali translated and the chief nodded to Krystal in approval then spoke to Mamali.

"Now what?" John whispered to Krystal who only shrugged.

"You and your crew are invited to stay one night," Mamali told Krystal in Spanish. "You will need your rest to face Killer Kan."

"Thank you, but I think we should go on our way as soon as possible," Krystal replied, politely.

"It would be an insult to my chief if you do not accept his invitation," Mamali warned. Krystal sighed and bowed. The chief understood her gesture and spoke to Mamali again then walked toward his people. "Summon your crew and follow me. I will lead you to our village."

Krystal nodded and turned to John.

"Go get the crew and tell them we're getting some shore-leave," she told him in English.

"What?!" John demanded. "We have to find Jasmine!"

"It'd be an insult if we don't accept the man's invitation," Krystal replied, calmly. "Besides, I'm sure the men could use a good night's sleep. Wouldn't _you_ like to sleep comfortably, especially with everything you're going through, now?"

John was silent. He had to admit, a good night's rest sounded appealing. But without Jasmine next to him, it wasn't too tempting.

"Aye," John answered, reluctantly. "As you ordered, Captain."

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Krystal yawned and stretched as she slowly awoke from the best sleep she had ever had since before her parents had died. She rolled away from the sunlight shining into the hut as the sun rose.

That night had been a long one. She had drunk so much of the native's alcohol that she could have given Jack a run for his money. But now, the hangover she was left with was causing her to regret drinking altogether and she decided to set sail that afternoon, knowing her crew would not be fit to run her ship through the gentlest of waters.

"This is the _last_ time I drink this much," Krystal groaned in pain from her headache. The small knocks on the door were enough to make her wince from the sound, but she got up and opened the door to be blinded by the sun behind John.

"Good _morning_, Captain!" John sang loudly, making Krystal clap her hands of her ears.

"Not so loud, John," she pleaded in a raw voice.

"Sorry, Captain," he whispered. "I forgot, you get bad hangovers."

"_Alright, I'm __completely__ jealous of him_," she thought. "_Sometimes, I wish I could take his head and put it on __my__ shoulders just so I could hold my liquor!_"

"Why'd you wake me?" Krystal asked, irritably.

"Just thought we could get going, Captain," John spoke quietly, getting to the point.

"John," Krystal yawned again, rubbing her eyes. "Not _everyone_ can hold their alcohol like you. We set sail at noon." She walked back into the hut and John followed her in, shutting the door behind him. Krystal groaned and knelt down to a bucket opposite the door.

"Ma'am," John called, cautiously. "With all due respect, shouldn't we be getting back to our mission: My wife?"

Krystal said nothing and instead, dunked her whole head into the cool water that was in the bucket. She came back up after a few seconds and breathed deeply.

"He just _can't_ let you have a bit of fun, can he, love?" Transparent Jack asked, sitting to her right. She glared at him through soaked strands of her ebony hair then sat up in her knees, taking her purple sash and whipping her face with it, and sighing again.

"Captain?" John called again as she wrapped the sash around her head and knotting it under her partially soaked hair.

"I say we make him walk the plank later," Jack grinned, crossing his arms.

"John," Krystal said calmly and ignoring Jack as she stood to face John. "You want us to find Jasmine?"

John nodded, knowing he was going to be lectured…again.

"How do you expect us to do that with a hung-over crew? If we set sail now, they'll complain, wobble the deck and nothing will be done properly. Lines won't be tied right, sails will take forever to be unfurled, and heaven forbid we should run, into a storm! They'd be useless! Not to mention, that when we find Killer Kan, we all want clear heads to fight and defeat him." Krystal's headache was steadily becoming worse, and she had to sit back down again.

"Well, now that you put it _that_ way, I suppose finding her later is better then not finding her at all," John mused.

"I'm glad we agree," Krystal said, bringing her knees to her chest and leaned her forehead on them. "Now go, before I get cranky."

"Aye, aye, Captain," John chuckled then walked out of the hut, shutting the door behind him.

"You should've hit him, love," Jack pouted

"_I_ am not as impulsive as _you_ are, Jack," she sighed, lifting her head but keeping her eyes closed.

"Where's the hairy monkey-lemur-thing?" Jack asked, ignoring her insult.

"I ordered Nemo to stay on the ship," Krystal explained.

"He follows your orders?!"

"I'm his master _and_ his friend. He's more intelligent then humans give him credit for. He trusts me."

"Why didn't you let him come? I'm sure he would have enjoyed dinner."

"Jack, did you even _hear_ what we had for dinner last night?"

"What did that pretty girl call it? Lémur corazón?"

"_And_ Lémur cabeza…"

"You know Spanish, love, not me."

"Alright. Corazón and cabeza mean heart and head…"

Jack shuddered then said, "That's just weird, love. What's lémur mean?"

"What's it sound like?"

"Lemur."

"That's why I didn't bring him. They eat lemur here."

There was a timid knock on the door, making Krystal growl in agitation. Standing, she walked to the door, muttering curse under her breath in Spanish.

"Easy, love," Jack cooed. Krystal flung the door open and Jack disappeared as she found Mamali standing in front of her with her chief behind her and the villagers as well.

"Capitan Robyn?" Mamali called, hesitantly then said in Spanish, "My chief wishes to bestow a great honor upon you."

"_Doesn't this girl __ever__ crack a smile?!_" Krystal wondered silently.

"And what would this honor be?" she asked in Spanish also.

"For your bravery in facing Killer Kan, my chief will make you part of our tribe," Mamali continued. "You will be taken his adopted daughter. You will also be given a tribal name and you will have the tribe's defenses whenever you need them."

"Thank you," Krystal sighed. "But I'm not all that brave. I only wish to have my crew member safely returned to me. If your chief knew my plan, he would not think me so brave."

"On the contrary!" Mamali finally smiled. "The fact that you are even _considering_ going after him, regardless of having a plan or not, makes you _extremely_ brave!" The smile this girl was beaming with even made Krystal smile, slightly.

"Alright," Krystal nodded. Mamali led her to her chief and bowed to him. Krystal hesitantly did the same. The chief spoke to Krystal in his language and she looked at Mamali, unsure of what to do.

"He says that you name 'Krystal Robyn' will no longer be used among our tribe," she translated. "You new name is Lukamui. It means Freedom."

Krystal smirked at the irony. The chief came toward Krystal holding up a golden chain with something dangling from it. Krystal bowed at the waist again and the chief placed the necklace around her neck. As Krystal stood tall, the medallion landed on her stomach. She lifted it up and examined it in the sunshine. The medallion was gold, with four jade pieces surrounding a ruby in the center. She held it toward the sun and grinned as it sparkled, leaving red spots of light on her face.

"Beautiful," she breathed.

"If anyone has any doubt of your tribal family, this gem will remove it," Mamali explained. Krystal lowered the medallion and bowed to the chief.

"Thank you," she said. The chief spoke again in his language to Krystal and she looked at Mamali again. Mamali looked at her chief in confusion but Krystal's attention shot back to him when she heard a familiar name.

"If Jack Sparrow were here," Mamali translated, "he would be proud of you."

"Jack?" Krystal breathed. "How would he be proud of me?!"

Mamali spoke to the chief, but the chief spoke directly to Krystal, and not in his language, or in Spanish. He spoke in English, the only words he knew and it was a phrase Jack Sparrow had specifically taught him.

"Because he loved you."

**A/N: **well? i know that probably wouldn't happen, it's highly unlikely, but let's face it, it's Pirates...lol! RnR, please?


	12. Rescue

**A/N: **and now, the moment you've all been wiating for! enjoy!

_**Chapter 12: Rescue**_

"My dear, you look absolutely _ravishing_!" Kan grinned, raising his glass to Jasmine as she sat across from him. They sat on the beach, the moon high above them.

"Too bad I hate you," Jasmine smiled sarcastically. "Otherwise your flattery would get me."

Kan lowered his glass of rum and still smiled at her.

"Well, it's true," he muttered then began scratching his tiger's head. The cat purred and nestled her head on her paws.

"Yeah," Jasmine scoffed and raised her glass to her lips. "I'm as pretty as that cat of yours, right? Next thing you'll be telling me is that the moonlight accents my features!"

"Now that you mention it…it does."

"Married," Jasmine reminded him, taking a sip of rum. "Not to mention, oh, that's right, I hate you!"

"Married for now. But, I'm sorry to say, a soon-to-be widow."

Jasmine spat out her drink and Mariko lifted her head in alarm.

"What?!" Jasmine demanded, leaning toward him a bit.

"Come now, pretty. "You didn't think I would leave her crew _alive_ when I'm planning to kill _her_, did you?"

Jasmine felt sick. She could tell the Sirens to warn Krystal and John, but the Singer Fish weren't coming back until morning, and according to _them_, then _Cruel Mistress_ was to be there that night. That's why she had agreed to this moonlight picnic, to trap Kan.

Blinded by her panic, she lunged at Kan and tried to hit him. He caught her and they rolled across the sand in a struggle. Kan pinned her beneath him, and grinned as she struggled to free her wrists from his one hand. Mariko was ready to protect her master, but Kan raised his free hand to stop her.

"I like a feisty girl," Kan stated, making Jasmine stare at him in disbelief. "That's right! I wanted you from the moment I saw you!" He started kissing her neck, roughly as she struggled again. She looked toward Mariko and saw the tiger roar at the bushes then arched her neck back to see what the tiger was roaring at. Jasmine saw some bushes rustle, but still struggled, feeling Kan trying to undress her.

"You don't want to be doing that, mate," Krystal advised in a low voice, her sword pointed at Kan's head. Jasmine and Kan froze and looked up to see Krystal and John with their swords drawn and six men behind them.

"John!" Jasmine cried, trying to keep her emotions from making her burst into sobs. She could tell it was all John could do to keep from killing Kan right there and then.

"Off the lady, Kan," Krystal ordered, flicking her sword to gesture that he get off. Kan grinned and stood up, dragging Jasmine with him, gripping her wrists.

"Well, well," Kan said, smugly. "Captain Krystal Robyn. We meet again."

"Let her go," Krystal replied.

"What would be in it for _me_?" Kan smirked, Jasmine beginning to struggle to get to her husband.

"Some interesting information on how to have the power of future prediction with that beastie of yours," Krystal smirked back.

"No!" Jasmine cried. "Don't do it, Krystal!"

"Give me the information!" Kan demanded.

"I'll do better. I'll _show_ you." Krystal turned her head a bit, but kept her eyes on Kan. "Nemo! Acercarse!" Her pet lemur ran up to her and climbed up to her shoulder as Kan stared at Nemo in disbelief.

"That's not…?"

"_He_ is," Krystal smirked. "The link to connect your tiger to the furniture. Now…" She raised her sword higher at him. "Let…Her…Go."

Kan looked at Jasmine then spun her around, still holding her wrist as she faced John and Krystal.

"You've been quite useful to me," he whispered into her ear. "Not only have you brought me my enemy to me, but you have brought me the power I have wanted."

"Her safety!" Krystal snapped. "Otherwise you wouldn't have your precious power!"

Kan looked at Krystal with a grin that John wanted to slice off his face. Kan shoved Jasmine straight at John and she fell into his arms.

"Are you alright?" John whispered to Jasmine, still holding his sword toward Kan.

"I'm fine, now," she whispered back, snuggling into his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"A touching reunion to be sure," Kan sneered. "But now that I've held up _me_ end of the bargain, why don't you give me that animal and I'll be on my way?"

"Not so fast," Krystal smirked. "Methinks that this little lemur is too valuable to just save _one_ of my crew. What do you think, Mr. Stewart?"

"Most definitely, Captain," John smirked smugly.

"Now, Kan, since you want Nemo so much, maybe you'd like to _earn_ him, eh?"

Kan looked at Krystal in confusion.

"You see, Killer, I lost a crew member who fell overboard to the _Flying Dutchman_. No doubt he's thought of a way to stay alive. So now all we have to do is find the Davy Jones, crocodile looking thing and get my crew member from and _you_ are going to help me get him back. Otherwise, you won't get cute little Nemo. Savvy?"

"Davy Jones?!" Kan exclaimed. "You must be completely daft! Why should I risk my life to _help_ you when you killed my brother?!"

"Did I not make myself clear earlier? You want the power to foretell the future?! Then I suggest you do what I tell you! As far as I can tell, I'm _still_ the one holding the key to the future, am I not?"

Kan growled in frustration as he folded his arms across his chest in a huff.

"Fine! But I am _not_ your ally! I still wish you dead!"

"Ah, but you can't kill me until I give you Nemo." Krystal was taking a huge chance saying that. She knew that Killer Kan would live up to his name and probably kill her anyway and kidnap Nemo then take whatever _else_ he wanted and kill her crew.

"You hear yourself? You know _that_ was an exceedingly foolish statement?" Kan smirked.

"Of course. But I've been told that I'm just as daft as Jack Sparrow. Meant as an insult, _I_ tend to take _that_ as a compliment."

"Ah, yes. How could I not have seen that you would mention him? Your lost lover. _He_ is your weakness. _Anyone_ can see it."

"Enough!" Krystal ordered, harshly. She lunged at Kan in blinding anger, but was stopped by two of her men. "How _dare_ he insult Jack?! Let me go!"

"Belay that!" John protested. "Hold her fast!" He let get of Jasmine, sheathed his sword and stood in front of his struggling captain.

"Captain," he whispered. "Remember the plan!"

"He called me weak!" Krystal hissed. "He insulted Jack! He'll die for his words!"

"Remember what you promised me," John reminded and Krystal stopped struggling. She took a few deep breaths and nodded to John, indicating she was calmer. John walked back to his wife.

"Are you done having your tantrum now?" Kan smiled and Krystal straightened.

"Are you going to help me?"

"Do I have a choice?" Kan sighed, gesturing to her men. "I'm a bit outnumbered."

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"_Why did you do that, Krystal?!" Jack demanded, dabbing a cut on Krystal's forehead._

"_I had to!" Krystal explained. "He said you were a complete and utter waste of creation! I __had__ to!"_

"_Not that I don't agree with your reason, but you have to __think__ before you fight!"_

"_You__ don't," Krystal winced as he finished with her cut._

"_That's because I'm very lucky, deary. But __you__ have to rely on that brain of your." He pressed his finger to the middle of her forehead. "You're a lot smarter than you think."_

_She giggled and pulled his hand in hers, taking the cloth from his hand and wiping some of her blood off of his hand from her cut._

"_Jack? Why did you even __agree__ to train me? I mean, why would you let yourself be burdened by a woman?"_

_Jack pulled his hand from hers and placed it on her head, closing his eyes as if in thought._

"_I'm sensing great pirate potential in you, young one."_

_Krystal giggled again and removed Jack's hand to hold it again as they looked at each other a moment._

"_And I like your company," Jack shrugged then clapped his hands. "So! The lesson for today is: Use your head before you use your sword, savvy?"_

"_Got it!"_

"Krystal?" Jasmine called timidly behind the captain as she stood at the port railing.

"Yes, Jasmine?" Krystal asked, not looking away from the horizon as Jasmine walked up next to her.

"Thank you for rescuing me."

"Don't mention it. You're part of my crew. I'll not leave _anyone_ unspoken for.

Jasmine nodded then asked, "Who was taken by Jones?"

Krystal turned to lean back on the railing and sighed, "Matthew."

"Oh! That poor boy!" Jasmine gasped. Krystal shot a look at Jasmine.

"Poor boy?!" she nearly laughed. "Hardly that, Jasmine! I swear to you, he's _got_ to be Jack's twin! He's not in any trouble."

"I see," Jasmine nodded. The two women were silent a moment before she asked, "Will you really give Nemo to Kan?"

Krystal sighed again and placed her hands on Jasmine's shoulders then said, "Jasmine, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told your husband. You worry about what I tell you to do, and let _me_ worry about my plans. Alright?"

Jasmine nodded.

"Good. Now, go to your husband. He's missed you, dearly."

The blonde nodded and ran off with a grin from ear to ear and Krystal turned back to the horizon. She was almost completely immersed in her thoughts when she heard some rustling in one of the barrel's on deck. She looked toward it in confusion then drew her sword slowly and approached it. She placed her hand on the lid and quickly removed it, pointing her sword toward whatever was inside. A small shriek ceased any attack Krystal had planned and she sighed in irritation, sheathing her sword.

"What are you doing here?!" Krystal demanded in Spanish as Mamali stood up from the barrel.

"Forgive me for stowing away, Lukamui," Mamali pleaded in Spanish also. "But I could _not_ stay on that island! I will do _anything_ you wish! But please, do not send me back! I beg you!"

"Why don't you get out of the barrel, eh?"

Mamali did as she was told.

"Now, why would you wish to leave your island paradise?"

"I was going to be given away in marriage to a man I did not love, nor had I ever met him! I could _not_ stay!"

Krystal sighed in pity at the girl. Though she couldn't sympathize with her, she could certainly understand the frustration of being forced to do something she did not what to do at all.

"Well," Krystal replied thoughtfully. "I suppose there would be no harm in letting you stay. But you'll stay in _my_ cabin."

"_If the men find out about her, there's no telling __what__ they'll do?!_" Krystal thought. She ushered Mamali into her cabin and shut the door.

"I am _deeply_ indebted to you, Lukamui!" Mamali cheered.

"Don't mention it. Just stay here alright? I can't have the men seeing you just yet."

"Yes, of course. I will do as you wish," Mamali nodded.

"Good!" Krystal grinned. "Welcome to the crew, Mamali!"

**A/N: **hee hee. we're just beginning. RnR?


	13. The History of Jones and Robyn

**A/N:** and it continues...enjoy!

_**Chapter 13: The History of Jones and Robyn**_

"Come on you little whelp!" the bosun yelled at Matthew who was on all fours on the deck, spiting out blood as the rain drenched him and the crew of the _Flying Dutchman_. "Pick yourself up! I'm not finished with you yet!"

"_How can this get any __worse__?!_" Matthew wondered, spitting out more blood. He stood up slowly, groaning in pain. He had to have had one broken rib, at best, but he had to keep fighting. He couldn't give up. He refused to. He was a pirate.

"Is that the best you've got?! Matthew spat, trying to be tough. The bosun grinned and raised his whip. This guy didn't fight fair. He snapped the whip at Matthew, slicing his skin from his shoulder and across his chest. Matthew didn't flinch, but the pain stung and it was all he could do to keep from screaming in pain.

"You cost me five more years on this blasted ship! You'll pay for it _now_!"

The bosun snapped his whip again and Matthew raised his arm. The whip winded around his arm and he grabbed the tail, pulled it toward him, causing the bosun to fall toward him, slide across the slimy deck at Matthew and the young man placed a foot on his back to keep him down. Matthew gathered up the whip and gripped the handle.

"_Try_ insulting me again!" Matthew threatened. "I _dare_ you! I'm so sick of this---!"

"What's going on here?!" Jones thundered, shoving past the crowd that had gathered around the two. Matthew looked up and swallowed in fear, but Jones only grinned at him. "Well, now! I find myself liking you more and more, lad!" He looked at his hammer-headed first mate. "Brig!"

He nodded and grabbed hold of Matthew's arm as the young man dropped the whip and the creature growled, "Aye, Sir!"

"Not _him_, ye dolt!" Jones bellowed and pointed at the bosun, trying to get up off the deck. "_Him_! The lad will accompany me in my cabin. There's something I'd like to talk to him about."

Matthew looked at Jones in surprise and jumped when the thunder clapped and the lightening flashed in the sky. The bosun was dragged to the brig and Jones led Matthew to his quarters, shutting the door behind him.

"So, Sir," Matthew said, wiping the blood from his chin and stretching his arm to see if he _had_ broken a rib or two. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Take a seat, lad," Jones advised, gesturing to a stool. Matthew sat and Jones sat on his organ bench, facing the young man. "You wanted to know how I know how I know Krystal Robyn, correct?"

Matthew nodded vigorously, forgetting all pain he was experiencing at that moment and not even bothering to question why the captain was telling him now.

"Well," Jones began. "This particular captain has sent many sailors my way, if you get my meaning? And at one time, she was aboard my ship."

"Not true!" Matthew exclaimed. "That _can't_ be true! If it is, she escaped, eh?!"

"She didn't escape, lad," Jones replied. "She was set free."

"Why would you let her go?" Matthew wondered with a quizzical look.

"Well, lad, when she was on my ship, she wasn't the captain she is now. She was younger and she wouldn't shut up! She kept boasting about how she was friends with Jack Sparrow!"

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow!" Matthew corrected and Jones glared at him.

"Yes, well, anyway, she had been in the same predicament you are. She fell overboard, and was on this marvelous ship for one week.

"Then, one day, Ja-_Captain_ Jack's ship was lost to the sea. He made a deal with me to get it back, and captain for fifteen years. But, upon finding out that Krystal was aboard my ship and hadn't taken my offer to serve, he traded two more years from captaining the _Black Pearl_ for her freedom.

"A romantic notion, but it's ended up his weakness."

"How is love a weakness?" Matthew asked, curiously.

"A man knows not what he sacrifices when he's blinded by love," Jones sneered.

"Like you?" Matthew smirked, thinking he was now on Jones's good side. He suddenly realized, Jones didn't _have_ a good side and he was under the wrath of the captain's anger. Without a word, Jones stood up and gripped Matthew's throat with his crab claw and choked him.

"You know _nothing_ about what happened to me, boy!" Jones spat. "It's best you keep your mouth shut about things you don't understand!" He released Matthew and the young man fell to the floor with a thud, coughing and gasping for air. "If you see your captain again, give her this." He tossed something small and gold at Matthew, who caught it in mid-air, despite his labored breathing.

"If?" Matthew coughed. "If _I_ see my captain?"

"I'm cutting you adrift, lad," Jones grinned evilly. "I'm sure your captain will find you."

Suddenly, the doors flung open and the hammer-headed shark man was framed in the doorway.

"Captain! We have two ships pursuing us coming up on our stern!" he informed.

"Navy?" Jones wondered calmly. "East India Trading Company?"

"No, Sir! The _Black Tide_ and the _Cruel Mistress_!"

"Captain Robyn?" Matthew breathed and Jones laughed heartily.

"What fortune!" he bellowed. "They come to rescue the poor lad! How noble of Robyn!"

"_Why would Kan be __with__ her?_" Matthew wondered. "_I thought he was the bad guy?!_"

"Bring him on deck!" Jones commanded his first mate. Once again, Matthew was dragged by the arm and out on deck, still clutching the ring and Jones leading them.

It had stopped raining and the moon shone high above them, but Matthew knew it would be morning soon. Jones climbed up to the helm and Matthew was dragged behind him. The hammer-headed man shoved Matthew aside and took his position at one of the two helms, Jones beside him.

"Come about," Jones ordered and the boat started turning to face the approaching ships.

Matthew took this moment to look at the ring Jones had tossed at him. It was gold with a diamond in the center of two emeralds gems. He wondered what significance it held for his captain _and_ Jones and he wondered if he would be able to ask his captain about it.

"The wind is with them, Captain," the creature told Jones.

"Obviously!" Jones retorted then stepped ahead a bit to see the ships closer. "The _Cruel Mistress_ and the _Black Tide_. Can it get better then this?" He turned to his crew. "Ready the guns! Port and starboard!"

"_No!_" Matthew screamed in his head. "_The ships will pass on both sides of the __Dutchman__ and be grazed by the cannon fire!_"

He examined which side the _Cruel Mistress_ would be sailing up next to, and bolted toward the hatch leading to the gunroom. The hammer-head creature went to go after him, but Jones stopped.

"Stay at your posts!" he boomed to his crew. "Leave him be!"

Matthew looked around at the creatures manning the guns, trying to figure out what he could say or do to convince one side _not_ to fire.

"Port side!" he cried and the creatures to his right looked at him, as he was turned around. "Captain orders _not_ to fire your guns!"

"What are you talking about, boy?!" a creature growled, but it was so dark, Matthew couldn't see what he resembled.

"You think I'm kidding?!" Matthew retorted. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to make _this_ captain angry!"

The creature said nothing, but Matthew could make out a nod from him to his mates and the port guns were racked. Matthew took a deep breath and scurried back up the ladder to the deck. He looked around and saw that the _Black Tide_ and the _Cruel Mistress_ had caught up to the _Flying Dutchman_ and ran across the deck to find a rope. He had a plan.

"Captain Robyn," Jones grinned, striding toward the port side, not noticing Matthew at all. "It's been a long time!"

"Awfully," Krystal grinned back, facing Jones from her ship. "I suppose you and I can't be civil and you can just hand over my bosun to me and I'll be on my way?"

The crew of Davy Jones ship and Jones himself howled with laughter.

"You mean the Aussie chap that fell overboard?!" Jones laughed. "I'm starting to like that boy! He's entertaining! Reminds me a bit of a certain captain you and I know."

Krystal glared at Jones, knowing he was talking about Jack.

"He does, don't he?" she replied, dismissively.

"That why you want him back?" he smirked. Krystal's fists clenched, but she kept her calm.

"He's my bosun, and my friend," she explained. "Not to mention my student."

"Oh, I should have known! He thinks like you, _and_ Jack! It was too obvious!"

"I grow tired of all this chit-chat!" Kan called behind Jones on his own ship. "Are we going to have ourselves some fun, or what?!"

Jones spun around and grinned at the dark, masked pirate.

"My sentiments exactly!" Jones laughed then looked up at the creature at the helm. "Fire all!"

The rumble of cannon fire sounded through the air, but only from the starboard side of the _Dutchman_.

"No port cannon, Captain?!" Matthew laughed, standing on the port railing, rope in hand.

"You little whelp!" Jones growled, lunging at Matthew. The young man was too quick and swung toward the _Cruel Mistress_ then landed on her deck with a thud.

"Welcome back, mate!" Krystal smiled, clapping Matthew's shoulder.

"Good to be back!" Matthew grinned then looked at the _Black Tide_. "What's Kan doing _working_ with you?"

"Long story," Krystal said. "Why don't we leave now, before Jones let's loose the port cannons, eh?"

"Running, Captain?" Matthew asked. "Shouldn't we blow a hole in her hull?"

"Boy," Krystal scoffed. "I like you even more!" She turned and ran to the hatch leading to the gun room and leaned in to shout, "Fire all!"

The cannons rumbled and she turned to Matthew.

"Light canvas, lad!"

Matthew nodded and ran to fulfill his orders.

"Mark my words, Krystal Robyn!" Jones shouted and Krystal looked at him. "You'll serve my ship one day!"

"You'll have to catch me first!"

"Captain!" John shouted from the helm. "We're leaving Kan?!"

"He's not infamous for nothing, Mr. Stewart! He'll get out of this fix!" Krystal assured him and ran up to the helm, Matthew following behind as the sails unfurled. "We'll make our rendezvous on Isla de Asesino and wait for him."

Krystal took the helm and John stood to her right as Matthew stood her left.

"Canvas lit, Captain," Matthew reported, breathing heavily.

"Good man!" Krystal heard three big booms and looked behind her. "Get down!"

She pulled John's and Matthew's collars as she ducked and wood went flying through the air.

"We've been hit!" John shouted, covering his head.

"Really, John?!" Krystal shouted, sarcastically. "I had _no_ idea!"

"She's falling behind!" Matthew informed as he leaned over the railing for a better look at the _Flying Dutchman_. "We're out of range!"

"Finally!" Krystal breathed. "Onward! To Isla de Asesino!"

**A/N:** and Matthew's back! wee! hee hee, we left Kan in the dust. serves him right, dirty, evil, bushwhacker...lol! reviews, please?


	14. Rescue Celebration

**A/N:** heres the next chappie, FINALLY! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 14: Rescue Celebration**_

"Just as I thought!" Krystal grinned in Spanish, looking at Mamali with pride on her face. You're _just_ my size! This dress looks absolutely stunning on you!"

"Oh, please, Lukamui!" Mamali laughed in Spanish, casting her eyes down in embarrassment. "I'm not _that_ pretty!"

"Oh, yes you do. I've never seen anyone so beautiful as you!" Krystal grinned.

The young girl was wearing a dress found on the ship that had worn once before. The purple taffeta gown with black lace lining the "V" neck collar and the ends of the elbow length sleeves. Her black hair cascaded down her back and her amber eyes glittered at Krystal as a smile crept to her face.

The door suddenly opened and Matthew let himself in then closed the door behind him before approaching his captain.

"You wanted to…see…me…Cap---?" Matthew's voice trailed off when he caught sight of Mamali. His coal black eyes scanned her until they met her ambers browns and she gave a shy smile, making Matthew swallow and smile nervously.

"Well, Master Warren," Krystal smiled, now speaking in English. "How's it feel to be back on the _Cruel Mistress_?"

"It's…" Matthew choked then cleared his throat and stuttered, not taking his eyes off of Mamali. "It's very, uh, good to be back. I-I, uh…"

"What's wrong, lad?" Krystal asked with a confused frown over her brow. Matthew said nothing as he and Mamali only stared at each other. Krystal glanced between them and grinned. "Of course! Where are my manners?" She stepped next to Mamali, still smiling. "Matthew, this is Mamali. We picked her up in Trinidad." She spoke to Mamali in Spanish. "This is Matthew, bosun of the _Cruel Misstress_."

"Encantado de conceria," Mamali smiled.

"What did she say?" Matthew asked Krystal with great interest.

"She said she's pleased to meet you," Krystal explained.

"Oh," Matthew nodded and cleared his throat. "Uh, likewise. No! Tell her, the pleasure is all mine. No! Tell her…tell her…tell her something…romantic. No---!"

"I'll tell her…_something_," Krystal couldn't help but smile and Matthew nodded, trusting his captain. Krystal turned to Mamali and said in Spanish. "He says the pleasure is all his, meeting such a beautiful Native such as you."

Mamali smiled at Matthew and shook her head with a smile and flush face.

"What did you tell her?!" Matthew asked Krystal in a panic.

"Cool down, Spit-Fire!" Krystal laughed. "Nothing to make you look foolish or weak, I assure you."

"O-Oh, alright," Matthew straightened and cleared his throat. "Anyway, you wanted to see me, Captain?"

"Ah, yes," Krystal nodded and waved him toward her desk as she walked to sit in her chair. Matthew followed and smiled at Mamali as he stood in front of his captain from across the table and Krystal continued, "I want you to take care of Mamali here during our little celebration we'll be having as yours and Jasmine's homecoming."

Matthew glanced at the young beauty in worry, then back at his captain and pointed at himself with wide eyes as he sputtered, "M-Me?!"

"Hard of hearing, lad?" Krystal asked with a smirk, sitting in her chair and leaning back to swing her legs onto the table and cradle the back of her head in her hands.

"No, Ma'am. I'm just wondering: Why me?"

"You don't want the job? Fine. I'll have Scab take care of her."

"No!" Matthew slammed his hands on the table and Krystal didn't move as she raised a brow in amusement at the young man in amusement while he cleared his throat and collected himself. "I mean, why does she need to be watched?"

"Because I don't want these men on my crew to try anything with her," she explained. "She's an exotic beauty, and we haven't had many women around this ship that aren't the captain. I can only imagine what's going through their minds."

"I understand," Matthew nodded then tried to sound as if he were being burdened, but coming off unsuccessful as he said with a small smile, "If I _must_, Captain, I'll take care of her."

"Why thank you, lad," Krystal smirked. "I appreciate you taking time from you duties to take care of this 'chore' for me."

Matthew straightened, hearing her tone but turned to Mamali and held out his arm and smiled, "Might I escort you to the deck, lass?"

Mamali looked at Krystal in uncertainty and the captain explained why he was doing that and translated his words. She looked at Matthew and laced her arm through his with a smile of her own. The two walked out of the cabin and the doors shut behind them. Krystal sighed with a smile and sat up.

"_You_ should have worn that dress, love," Transparent Jack smiled, sitting on her desk.

"I told you, I would never wear that dress again," Krystal frowned. "Better to give it to someone who looks better in it than I do."

"_No one_ can looked better in it than _you_, deary," Jack grinned.

"Funny, Jack," Krystal smirked, then looked toward the doors. "Ah enamorarse."

"What's that?"

"'To fall in love.'"

"What?" Jack looked at the door then back at Krystal but pointing to the door. "Those two?"

"You can see it, can't you? He likes her already!"

"I wonder…was it that obvious that _I_ liked _you_?"

"_Too_ obvious," Krystal laughed then sighed. "Suppose I should make my grand appearance, eh? Get this party _really_ going?"

"Please do, love. And pleas, start singing again," Jack smirked. Krystal sighed again and stood to walked to the door.

"I'll have to have a _lot_ of drinks before I do that." She stopped half-way to the door with a frown and turned to Jack. "Haven't we had this conversation some time already?"

Jack only shrugged and disappeared.

"_Lovely_," Krystal thought. "_Now I'm talking to myself again!_"

She turned and walked out on deck to join in the celebrating.

* * *

"Captain!" Matthew called, rushing over to Krystal across the deck, holding Mamali's hand. "Won't you say something about our rescue?!"

Krystal had been sitting with John and Jasmine, laughing and drinking. By this time she was _extremely_ drunk, perhaps even more drunk than her whole crew combined.

"Of course I will!" she grinned, her face flushed from drink and she struggled to stand on the barrel she had been sitting on.

"Alright, lads!" she slurred and hiccupped, holding up her bottle of rum in a toast. "We have sailed from island to island trying to get my crew back into ship shape…!" She giggled then burst into laughter. "Ship shape! That's funny!"

The crew laughed with her and she tried gathering herself again.

"As I was saying! You all know our dilemma! Well, I would just like to say that it is with great joy and relief that I welcome back Mr. Stewart's wife, Jatthew and my bosun, Masmine!"

"Yo ho!" the crew shouted and drank to the toast. Krystal gasped and jumped down from the barrel, almost landing onto her bum then ran to the middle of the deck.

"Gents, it's time for some entertainment!" she called. "Musicians, play whatever you know!"

They played a lively tune and Krystal began dancing, gesturing with the words as she sang.

_Come ye daring you buccaneers  
__Come and capture you treasure  
__Sail with us on the Seven Seas  
__And find your richest reward  
__Live the dream and you'll find a world  
__Filled with gold beyond measure  
__Bid farewell to your land-luck friends  
__And matey climb aboard_

The whole crew joined in for the chorus, with the exception of poor Mamali who couldn't understand what anyone was saying.

_Away, away, away, away  
__Come live the life  
__The life we love  
__Away, away, away, away  
__Adventure's waiting for you  
__Come on ye brave young buccaneers  
__Come live the life  
__The pirate's life  
__Come on, come on, come on, come on  
__Come live the life we love  
__With a sword in each hand  
__We're off to see far away lands  
__Away, away, away, away  
__Come live the life we love_

Suddenly, Krystal's furry friend came running from her cabin, and she picked Nemo up and placed him on her shoulder.

"There you are, mi amigo!" she grinned and continued her song.

_When you see Tortuga's coast  
__Oh, you're gonna be smilin'  
__The songs the fights, the days the nights  
__There's so much to behold  
__Sail with us on the Westward wind  
__See the beautiful islands  
__Said with us across the earth  
__In search for silver and gold_

The whole crew sang the chorus again, and this time, Mamali hummed along. Krystla wobbled around the desk so much that Nemo the lemur found it hard to stay on her shoulder, but he managed. Krystal continued with the next verse.

_A pirate fights for his treasure, mate  
__Be ready with your cutlass  
__But then there is the part see  
__That's the part he likes the best  
__When you sail into your port  
__Heroes you will be, boys  
__A patch on your eye and a lace on your boot  
__A pirate's what you'll be_

The chorus rang out about the ship again as Krystal skipped around the deck, waving her arms as if she were conducting an orchestra. With the last note of the song, she jumped to the middle of the deck and bowed grandly. Unfortunately, in her drunken stupor, she fell forward, flat on her face and the crew laughed. She sat up, shook off her daze and jumped to her feet, laughing and walking toward Matthew and Mamli.

"Well," she smiled, sitting down next to the Trinidad girl. "I've not had this much fun---nor been this drunk---since I was in Barbados with Jack and the crew!"

She took a swig from her rum bottle and Mamali tugged on her vest. She looked at her and asked politely in slurred Spanish what she wanted. The girl turned to Matthew and spoke in a loud clear voice.

"Dar clases de me danza," she smiled. Matthew looked at Krystal in confusion.

"What'd she say?" he asked and Krystal started laughing, slightly.

"She wants you to teach her to dance," she translated, taking another drink.

"What?!" Matthew chirped. "No! I mean, tell her I don't dance!"

Krystal laughed and spoke to Mamali in Spanish again.

"He would be _honored_ to teach you," Krystal lied. Mamali's face lit up and she dragged Matthew by the hands to the middle of the deck.

"Captain?!" Matthew called, pleadingly. "What did you tell her?!"

"Just humor her, Matty!" Krystal ordered, still laughing. "You won't regret it!" She turned to the musicians. "Play a slow dancing tune, gents!"

The men did as they were told and Matthew looked at her with wide eyes and pleaded, "Captain!"

"Dance!" she shouted dramatically. "Dance my little puppet! Dance!"

She cracked herself up and fell out of her seat to roll on the floor with laughter. Jack would have been very ashamed of her if he had been there at that moment. She _still_ couldn't hold her rum properly.

"Oh," Jasmine sighed as she watched Matthew and Mamali in a dance, Matthew's arms hesitantly around Mamali. "They are so cute together!"

John looked down at his wife, his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple, not once looking at anything around him and agreed, "Yes, they are.

Matthew suddenly ran back to Krystal, Mamali's hand still in his and she sat up as he said, "Captain. Davy Jones wanted me to give you this."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring Jones had tossed to him. At the sight of it, Krystal was instantly sober and she snatched it from his hand.

"That's it!" she cried in realization, jumping to her feet. "Carry on, gents!"

With that she ran to her cabin and shut the door leaving everyone stunned but no one said anything.

* * *

**A/N:** well, there that was. filler, i guess, huh? anyway, the song i used was from Swashbuckling Sea Songs. i got that CD from Dland reviews please?


	15. The Future Foretold

**A/N:** next chapter! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 15: The Future Foretold**_

Krystal stood on the shore of Isla de Asesino and stared into the ocean with Nemo on her shoulder. John paced across the sand, his sword clanging against him as he muttered to himself. Krystal now wore three rings: The rose crest Jack had given her, the blue star from Kan and the diamond centered ring the Davy Jones had told Matthew to give to her. Matthew stood a few paces away to her left, tapping his foot impatiently while John still paced on her right.

"John," Krystal called sternly, not looking away from the ocean as he stopped and looked at her. "You're irritating me with your pacing. Stop it."

John stepped toward her to impatiently hiss, "Where is he?! You said he would be here! You promised me---!"

"I know what I promised!" Krystal hissed back, still not taking her gaze from the sea. "He'll be here!"

"You said that an hour ago!" John sighed. "And the hour before that! I want to know where he is."

Krystal looked at him slyly and raised her hands, catching Matthew's attention and he drew closer, seeing the ring Jones had given him on her right index finger.

"Well then, let's find out where he is," she smirked. She pulled down her left sleeve to reveal her tattoo and stared at it and ordered, "Find Kan the Samurai."

Her tattoo glowed white and the rings on her index fingers glowed as well, but the tattoo did not show any image above as it had before. Instead her hands jerked her to the right, shoving John out of the way and pulled her down the shoreline. John and Matthew shot after her as she ran involuntarily.

"That wasn't supposed to happen!" John panted and Matthew looked at him curiously as he continued, "Or _was_ it?"

The two saw her make a dead stop in front of the tide and they stopped next to her, all three staring out to sea with wide eyes.

"The _Black Tide_," Krystal smirked again. There she was, big as life, with a little row boat coming toward the shore and Krystal said, "Her captain graces us with his presence."

* * *

"_Jack!" Krystal panted, running across the deck of the __Black Pearl__ to meet him. "Jack! You won't believe it!"_

"_I probably won't," Jack retorted. "But tell me anyway, love."_

_The two grinned at each other and she stepped close to him, glancing around before placing a quick kiss to his lips._

"_I was walking along the beach," she began, "and I came upon these two handsome lads. Brothers. Reynolds, I think. Anyway, they told me that there is a heap-load of treasure on an island called Isla de Muerta!"_

"_Is that so?" Jack mused with a mischievous grin and Krystal nodded, urgently. "Well, let's get to Tortuga first, and then---"_

"_Jack?" she suddenly interrupted and looked at her with a frown of wonder. "Before you go there, can we make a stop in Spain?"_

"_What for, love?" he asked, his frown deepening._

"_I---" she choked then cleared her throat before trying again, "I want you to leave me there...for good."_

_Jack stared at her long and heard before gripping her wrist and dragging her into his cabin and slamming the doors behind him. He whirled around and stared at her again to growl out, "Why?"_

"_Because I want to use the skills you taught me," she replied, meekly. "Don't you want me to be captain of my __own__ ship?"_

"_You can captain __this__ ship," Jack offered. "Any time you like! Day or night! Rain or shine! Drunk or not! Just stay __here__, where I can keep an eye on you!"_

"_I beg your pardon?!" Krystal chirped, her hands on her hips. "I can take care of myself! I don't need __anyone__ to 'keep an eye on me'!"_

"_Well, too bad, deary!" Jack shot back. "'Cause __I__ say you're not leaving me and that's __final__!"_

_He stomped his foot after his statement and Krystal had to admit, he __was__ acting like a child, but his words stuck in her head; You're not leaving __me_

"_Not leaving __you__, Jack?" she asked, calmly and he stared at her in shock at his words he had just realized he had used, only making him angry, not at her, but at himself._

"_You're not leaving and that's __it__!" he barked. "End of discussion!"_

_He stomped out on deck, leaving Krystal alone as she stared after him with wide eyes at his reaction._

* * *

Captain Robyn had no clue why her subconscious chose _that_ memory to replay in her mind, but as Kan stepped onto the sand to meet her, his pet tiger following close behind, she realized that she needed to be as brave and unwavering as she always was when she argued with Jack. She looked down at her left wrist, noticing the tattoo's image had changed again. The dragon was now swallowing the serpent. Kan's time, and hers, had come.

"What was the meaning of that?!" Kan demanded and Krystal looked up at him, coming out of her thoughts.

"Beg your pardon?" she chirped, sincerely.

"You left me to fight Davy Jones _by myself_!" he reminded her with an angry glow in his golden eyes.

"Oh, tush!" Krystal replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Stop acting like a big baby! I knew you could handle it! It's not like I _abandoned_ you _completely_!"

"Yes you did!" Kan growled, staring her directly in the face.

"Pirate," she reminded him. "Now let's get on with this, before I get bored of our little banters, savvy?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out two long strips of braided leather, one shorter than the other very long one. She slipped her two new rings off as she stepped toward Mariko the tiger.

"What are you doing?!" Kan demanded.

"Hold your cat still, so I can wrap this 'round her neck!" Krystal ordered.

"What for?!" Kan barked, crossing his arms and she turned to him with a smile, though she was far more than irritated with him.

"Didn't hear _that_ part of the legend, did you?" she replied, vaguely. Matthew and John looked at each other, then back at the scene in confusion.

"What part?" Kan asked, more intrigued now than angry.

"The part where the two animals have a ring each," Krystal explained, holding up the two rings. "This one here, the one _you_ gave me, is the Star of Confucius. That one goes with your pretty kitty. This one that I got back from Davy Jones, is the Eye of Cortes. This goes to me little Nemo. The powers they possess will double out pets' powers.

"You see, out beloved creatures will only be able to tell us the future extending a decade. But coupled with these rings, they'll tell us our _entire_ future. Wouldn't you like to see if you die fat, happy and rich?"

Kan nodded, his eyes glowing in triumph and without a word he wrapped his arms around Mariko's neck to keep her from attacking Krystal.

"Good man," she murmured and she tied the Star of Confucius around the cat's neck then tied the Eye of Cortes around Nemo's. She then tried to sit the lemur on the tiger's back, but he wouldn't have it. He made what sounded like a whimper and clutched onto the collar of her shirt, trying to stay close to her.

"Come on!" Kan growled impatiently. "What's wrong with him?!"

"_You_ try being his size and be forced to sit on a tiger's back!" Krystal snapped then cradled Nemo in her arms, rocking him gently as she murmured, "It's alright. I'll be here the _whole_ time. I promise."

She placed Nemo on the tiger's back and he looked up at her with fearful brown eyes.

"Look!" Matthew breathed. "The rings are glowing!"

"And their eyes!" John added. Krystal and Kan stood back and the tiger's eyes reflected two beams of like onto the sand, one green and the other blue, making an image.

"It's this island," Kan explained. The picture zoomed in on the beach where two people engaged in a sword fight. The picture zoomed in again to show the faces of the fighting pair.

"It's me," John breathed, "and Kan."

"_Oh, yes! As if __he's__ shocked!_" Krystal thought. "_I only promised him he could fight him!_"

"Who's winning?" Matthew wondered, leaning in to see between Krystal and Kan. The two pirate captain's looked at him with angry glares and he laughed nervously as he swallowed then said, "Never mind."

The captains turned back to the image and saw the answer to Matthew's question. John stood over Kan and had jabbed his sword into the villain's belly until Kan was limp and lifeless. The image suddenly disappeared and Kan growled in anger, drawing his sword and facing John.

"It won't be _me_ who dies here!" Kan growled as John drew his own sword.

"Not good!" Krystal and Matthew blurted together and Krystal snatched Nemo off of Mariko's back and the tiger roared in protest. She swiped a big paw at Krystal who dodged it, just barely.

"Matthew!" she called then ordered, "Take Nemo back to the ship!" She handed her pet to Matthew then brought the lad close to look him in the eye and murmured, "Keep to the code, lad."

Matthew stared wide eyes at her but nodded and when she shoved him away he ran down the beach toward the _Cruel Mistress_. Mariko turned to go after Matthew, but Krystal grabbed and pulled the cat's tail, making her cry in pain. The cat growled and turned on Krystal who let go of her tail to draw her sword.

* * *

"I'll run you through like pig ready to be roasted!" Kan boomed at John and lunged toward him.

John parried the attack and their fight began. John was brilliant at sword-play, but Kan had anger and hate backing every blow, and John could match these emotions for his enemy easily, but John knew that hate and anger are often a man's downfall. Especially in battle. Their swords came together at the hilts and they both stared at each other at the cross, struggling against the blades.

"That woman of yours is rather nice to look at, lad," Kan taunted and John's eyes widened in disbelief. "I wouldn't mind taking her for my own once I kill you and your captain. I think she rather liked being pinned beneath me, eh? You saw it in your eyes, didn't you?"

John glared at the man in growing rage.

"She probably hasn't let her touch you since she was rescued,' has she?" Kan continued. "Just as well. I wouldn't want her too tired when I got my hands on."

"You'll never touch her!" John growled, his anger boiling beneath the surface, his sky blue eyes burning with it. "I'll _die_ before you touch her again!"

"Be careful what you wish for, lad," Kan smirked. "That can easily be arranged sooner than you think!"

Kan laughed as John growled and shoved him away with his sword.

* * *

Mariko pounced at Krystal, throwing them both to the ground, one huge paw pinning her sword arm down. The cat roared in Krystal's face and she cringed at her breath.

"Kitty! You need something to freshen that breath!" she groaned and pushed the cat off with her free arm to roll away from her. Mariko chased after her and Krystal finally stopped on her side. The cat quickly swiped her claws across Krystal's back, slicing through vest, shirt and skin. Krystal shouted in agony then became hot with anger.

"_That's_ it!" she growled and stood fully to turn on the cat and kick it in the face then pounce on the tiger. The two rolled and Mariko ended up on top of Krystal again, roaring in her, Krystal's sword arm pinned once again under the tiger's paw. The captain roared back at the cat, punching it in the face with her free hand.

* * *

John punched Kan in the face, launching his mask to the sand, and Kan himself to the ground. His breathing was labored, but before he could get up, John stomped on his sword arm, making him shout in pain.

John raised his sword and Krystal yanked her arm out from the cat's paw and the two heroes plunged.

* * *

**A/N:** *gasp* a TOTAL cliffhanger! what shall we do?! wait for the next chappie, of course. LOL. so, reviews?


	16. Feelings of a Pirate

**A/N:** how mean am i?! i had this done and left you all hanging! ok, enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 16: Feelings of a Pirate**_

Blood stained the sand where Kan lay, lifeless with a sword in his gut. John breathed heavily and yanked his sword from the dead pirate. His face reflected panic and disbelief and he staggered backward from the body, ready to vomit. He had never killed before, and he realized that Scab had been right. A kill weighed heavily on a young man such as himself, unseasoned from killing, his heart uncallussed to emotion for those he ran through. He had just taken another's life and he felt the pain embed in his bones as he slumped into the sand, still staring at the body of Kan the Samurai.

Krystal was lying on her back, the tiger on top of her, dead, and its blood spilling all over her clothes. She stared up at the blue sky, wondering if Will, her sister, Barbossa and Tia Dalma had rescued Jack from the Locker, and if they had, she wondered if he was staring at the sky and thinking of her. She knew she was too romantic for her own good, but she couldn't help it. She suddenly realized that it was eerily quiet around her and she pushed the cat off of her, yanked the sword from it and stood to look around.

"John?" she called gently, walking toward him. He was still staring at the body of Kan as she crouched down and sat next to her first mate as she, too, looked at the body and muttered, "Good riddance. The world's a better place already without scum like him roaming about. Yes, sir. We've done the world a favor."

She nodded in agreement with herself and turned to John for his response.

"I killed him," he breathed, not looking at her. "With my own hands. I said I would, and I did."

"_Better it hit him __now__ than later_," Krystal thought then slapped him on the back and said, "Congratulations, mate. First lesson in living just realized. Survive at all costs."

"What do I do now?" he wondered, still staring at Kan.

"Shake it off," Krystal replied, standing and wiping her sword clean on her red sash around her waist. "You stand up, clean your sword and walk away." John was silent a moment and Krystal sighed, her hands on her hips. "Well, off to the _Cruel Mistress_. Your wife would _never_ forgive me if I didn't bring you back in one piece like I promised."

"How can you do that?" John asked in a low voice and Krystal looked at her first mate in curiosity as he stood to face her. "How can you _kill_ someone and then just 'shake it off'?! You show no feeling, Krystal! It's leading _me_ to believe that you have none! Ever since Jack died it's like your heart hardened to any and all feelings!" Krystal marched toward him and slapped him across the face but he only muttered, "I don't think I deserved that."

"How _dare_ you say I have no feelings?!" she snapped. "After I say with you in my cabin balling my eyes out over Jack! You have _no_ idea what my job entails! One thing about being a captain is to be strong for the rest of the crew, and if you mention Jack again in that manner, I swear I will leave you on the nearest island, sail away and never look back!"

"No you won't!" he shot back.

"And why not?!" she snarled.

"Because you need someone to yell at and take your anger out on!" he retorted. "Why else do you think I started this argument?! I'm coping with this blood on my hands the way _you_ do, and it's very effective!"

John slumped back down into the sand and crossed his arms and Krystal stared at him in surprise as he breathed heavily in rage and she sat in front of him.

"Well, this is a first for me," Krystal sighed.

"What is?" John snapped.

"I think this is the first time you've outsmarted me like that," she smirked and John sighed, letting his rage melt away to guilt.

"I'm sorry, Captain," he groaned.

"How many times I gotta tell you, mate?" she wondered with a smirk. "No apologies necessary. I _have_ been a bit out of sorts lately." She looked at the dead tiger and murmured, "I need that ring."

She crawled toward the cat and pulled a small knife concealed in her boot to cut the leather strap for the Star of Confucius.

"Why do you need it?" John wondered with a slight frown.

"Because it's pretty!" Krystal grinned, jokingly as she held the ring up then continued, "No. It might be useful later, is all."

She turned to walked back to John then stopped and looked around at the two bodies.

"What's wrong, Captain?"

"Nothing," Krystal replied then looked back at John. "Go back to the ship. I'll meet you there in a moment."

"What about Kan's crew?" he wondered and Krystal looked to the _Black Tide_ with a smirk.

"I'm sure they're waiting for Kan _not_ to return," she replied then shrugged, "They were planning a mutiny in any case."

"They were?!" John breathed as he jumped up and Krystal turned her smirk at him.

"Oh, yes," she nodded. "They were sick of him."

"Is that why she's sailing away?" John wondered, pointing toward the ship. Krystal looked back to the horizon and laughed.

"We made it too easy," she chuckled then turned back to John. "To the ship, Mr. Stewart. Jasmine is waiting."

John nodded and turned to walk to the _Cruel Mistress_ and Krystal waited until he was most of the way there before she knelt in front of the dead tiger and opened its mouth.

"What are you doin', love?" Transparent Jack asked, making a face as he gazed into the mouth of the beast.

"Souvenirs," Krystal grinned, shoving her knife into the cat's gums. She maneuvered the knife around a fang, severing the root and spitting a bit of blood into her face in the process.

"Ew," Jack whined, running his tongue over his teeth.

Krystal yanked the tooth out of the cat's mouth and grinned, holding it up as she said, "Oh, Jack. Quit being such a baby."

She stood and ran to the water to wash the blood from the tooth and stuck it in her pocket then turned to look at Kan, wondering, "Now, what can I swipe off of _him_?"

Concealing the knife in her boot again she stepped toward Kan, Jack following her and as she crouched next to her enemy's body he whispered into her ear, "Pirate."

"Well, you know how it goes," she muttered, feeling through Kan's pockets for _something_ of value. Suddenly, Kan gripped Krystal wrist with his right hand and growled, making her gasp and jump. No words came from his mouth, just noise.

"_¡Vaya por Dioa! He's not dead yet?!_" Krystal cried, inwardly.

"Why?" he asked in a raw voice.

"What?!" Krystal asked back.

"Why did you kill him?" he elaborated.

Krystal thought for a moment, not knowing what he meant and thinking he was just spewing gibberish. Something suddenly clicked and she looked down at him with wide eyes as she breathed, "You mean Daniel?"

Kan nodded and she gave a sigh of exasperation as she continued, "You should be thankful I did. You wouldn't have been proud of how he turned out. Not a worthy pirate. He stole my ship, then tried to blow it up with myself still inside it after a parley. Didn't honor the Code at all, mate."

"I have nothing now," Kan breathed, letting Krystal's wrist go and she frowned at his face. "My back is broken. Put me out of my misery, Captain."

Krystal sighed and drew her knife again to position it over his heart but before doing anything she breathed, "Allen. I'm sorry." He looked up at her in weak surprise. "I did you and Daniel wrong all those years ago. I'm so sorry."

"If you kill me now, you will have my forgiveness," he replied and Krystal glanced at him in guilt then nodded and took a deep breath before pushing the knife into him. Kan shouted in pain and slowly fell lifeless, for good. A tear trickled down Krystal cheek but she quickly wiped it away. They had been friends, briefly, all those years ago and she had deeply regretted killing Daniel, but she had to follow her own advice: Survive at all costs.

"You really sorry, love?" Jack asked, gently.

"Yes," Krystal nodded with a small sniffle. "I betrayed them. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway. If I could go back and do it over again, I wouldn't have done it." She pulled her knife out of Kan's chest and wiped it off on her red sash. "Well, no use whining about it now."

She stood to go to her ship, replacing her knife into her boot when she noticed the ring on Kan middle finger. A tiger's eye gem set in silver.

"What?" Jack asked her as she leaned down and slipped the ring from his finger.

"Pretty," she breathed, examining it in the sunlight. "I think I'll keep this."

She dropped it into her pocket and walked along the shore when suddenly the ground began to rumble and it quaked under her feet, making her stumble.

"_What the devil was that?!_" she thought the looked to the sea and noticed the tide coming in very fast.

"Not good!" she and Jack muttered then looked at each other and shouted, "Run!"

Jack only disappeared and Krystal bolted for her ship. She ran as fast as she could but when she reached the end of the water, coming to a slashing stop, she saw her ship shrinking into the horizon.

"What the bloody hell?!" she spat then waved her arms in the air, wildly. "Oi! What do you think you knaves are doing?! That's _my_ ship! If this is mutiny then I hope you killed John, because he'll kill every single one of you! Get back he---!"

Her rant was cut off when she fell back, being pulled by her foot into the sea. She landed on her back with a splash and yelled as an invisible force pulled her toward her ship. She was immersed in water and she hadn't got a good breath of air before she had been. She struggled to clamber to the surface, but found herself involuntarily taking a breath of water and passed out.

* * *

"Captain!" John cried, shaking the unconscious Krystal by the shoulders, her crew gathered around her. "Captain Robyn! Krystal!"

He slapped her with an open palm and her eyes shot open as she coughed up sea water. The crowd around her sighed in relief as she sat up, still coughing.

"What---?!" she coughed. "How---?! John---?! You were sailing off without me!"

"Ma'am?" Matthew called gently, and Krystal whipped her gaze to him, still coughing. "We weren't. You see, Tia Dalma gave me this invisible chain…rope…thing. She said it may be useful, and it was."

"I don't understand," Krystal coughed again."

"I tied it to your boot while you were sleeping," John explained. "It's long enough to circle the ship a thousand times."

"Where to, Captain?!" Matthew grinned, running to the helm.

"Oh," Krystal coughed and stood up with John's help. "I'm sick of all this destiny and bewitching magic crap! Onward, to---!" She coughed a bit more before blurting out, "Spain!"

* * *

**A/N:** ok, so the next chappie is coming very soon! i promise! reviews?


	17. Homecoming

**A/N:** tol you it would come up fast! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 17: Homecoming**_

"Why did you come back here, Krystal?" Isabella wondered, sitting on a big sofa in the parlor wearing a maroon gown, her chocolate brown hair pinned up, her hazel eyes staring at the pirate in front of her.

"I missed you," Krystal shrugged, "and Diego. All of you." She sat down on the sofa across from her adopted sister. "By the by, how _is_ Diego?"

"You actually care, now?" Isabella retorted.

I always have!" Krystal shot back, sitting straight up. "_He's_ the one that brought me to all of you! I love you all!"

"Is _that_ why you became a pirate?!"

"Here we go," Krystal sighed, rolling her eyes and throwing her hands in the air as she stood up to face the window.

Isabella stood up and walked toward crystal, pulling her by the shoulder to make the other woman face her as she shot back, "Yes! 'Here we go'! You didn't even say good-bye or explain yourself! The children were up all night, crying!"

"Ruban and Esperanza?" Krystal breathed, and suddenly changed the subject, musing, "They must be full grown by now. Are they as attractive as I thought they would be?"

Isabella sighed, calming herself and nodded, calmly, "Yes. Ruban is too handsome for his own good and Esperanza is a Spanish beauty."

"Just like her mother, eh?" Krystal smirked, complimenting the woman in front of her, but she only sighed again.

"Krystal, you shouldn't have come back," she said, gently. "We don't need your kind of riff-raff here."

"'Riff-raff'?" Krystal echoed, raising a brow. "My crew is on my ship. They're not getting shore leave till _I_ say so."

"Your _crew_?" Isabella breathed in disbelief. "Your _ship_?! You have those things?!"

"That's why I came here in the first place all those years ago!" Krystal retorted at the other woman's surprise. "That's why I made Jack leave me here! I wasn't here for a family! I was here for a ship and a crew!"

"Jack again," Isabella grumbled, then retorted, "And whether you wanted a family or not, you ended up with one!" Her expression softened as she couldn't help but confess, "and we missed you, too."

Krystal sighed with a smile and thrust her arms out in front of her as she wondered in a laugh, "Then can I finally get my hug from my sister?!"

She was instantly obliged, but the joy was cut short.

"What is _she_ doing here?!"

The girls jumped and looked to the doorway, letting each other go to see the man who had made the demand in Spanish standing in the threshold.

"Papa," Isabella pleaded, walking toward big man. "She means no harm. She only missed us---"

The man held his hand up to quiet his daughter then slowly stepped toward Krystal and boomed, "Get out!"

"Oh, Papa," Krystal smirked, unafraid and unmoving, "is that any way to treat your adopted daughter?" She turned and sat in an elaborately carved chair next the fireplace, reclining into it as she crooned, "Dear Raphael, how are you?"

"Well, until I saw _you_ here!"

"Papa!" Isabella gasped in disbelief.

"You turned your back on this family to become a pirate!" Raphael shouted, ignoring Isabella. "I'll not have pirates in my house!"

Krystal grabbed her chest and gave fake coughs as she pretended to suffer from a broken heart, gasping, "Oh! I'm dying! Your words hurt me so, Papa!"

"I am not your Papa!" Raphael snarled. "You were a street rat when Diego brought you here, and now you're a pirate! You were no good then, and you are no good now!"

"Papa! Please!" Isabella cried. The room was silent for a moment after that as Krystal's face darkened and she stood up, staring Raphael in the eye.

"No good, eh?" she scoffed, mildly. "Pardon my amusement, but I believe _I'm_ the one with a ship and a crew who respect me and are ever so loyal. I've gotten _rid_ of some of the no goods in my travels. Trust me, you think _I'm_ no good? You haven't met _half_ the people I know."

The three were silent again and Krystal took that as her cue to leave. She bowed grandly and strode toward the exit.

"Krystal, wait!" Isabella pleaded, and the other woman stopped and turned toward the brunette and her father.

"You know," she smirked, "you should think about what you say before you judge me, old man. If I'm not mistaken, _you_ had a ship and crew before you went all respectful, Capitán Fantasma."

Isabella looked at her surprise and confusion as she breathed, "Papa?"

Raphael didn't answer her, but only straightened and clenched his fists as he sent a burning glare at Krystal, who was unfazed by it, and instead, went on.

"So," she grinned, triumphantly, "Dear old daddy hasn't told you anything about his past, eh?"

"How do you know _anything_ about that?" Raphael growled through clenched teeth.

"Oh, you should know that pirates talk of legends and the like," Krystal replied, leaning against the door frame of the parlor. "The great Capitán Fantasma and his phantom ship, _stolen_ from him in the middle of the night by another, _future_, infamous pirate. Isn't that how the story goes?"

"That's what you were doing every night, wasn't it Papa?" Isabella realized, breathlessly. "You were pirating!"

Raphael still said nothing.

"You can thank me now, Bell," Krystal grinned, crossing her arms. Isabella whipped her gaze at her and Raphael frowned at her in confusion.

"What?" Isabella replied for both of them.

"Wasn't the name of your ship the _Phantom Pirate_?" Krystal asked him and he narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion but they shot wide when Krystal went on to say, "She was _my_ ship for some time."

"_You_ stole her?!" he boomed as Isabella's eyes widened as well, her jaw slackening.

"Took you this long to figure it out, old man?" Krystal scoffed. "The night I left Spain. You see, you weren't the only one sneakin' out at night. I would go out in search of a ship, and you led me _right_ to one. The _Phantom Pirate_ was a beauty. Fastest I'd ever sailed, save the _Black Pearl_."

"Was?!" Raphael demanded.

"Unfortunately, she's been sunk," Krystal explained, simply as Raphael's face dropped. "Not to worry. I killed the man that killed my ship---"

"_My_ ship!" he corrected. "She's been _sunk_?!"

"That's what I said, old man!" she shot back, standing tall from leaning. "You goin' deaf?!"

"Krystal!" Isabella cried. "You _stole_ a ship?! The night you left us was when you stole Papa's ship?"

"Commandeered," Krystal corrected, then snapped, "and has _everyone_ gone deaf around here?!"

"Krystal?" an innocent, feminine voice called from behind her. She spun around to see a girl in a golden gown with hazel eyes and jet black hair falling down to her waist. "Is that you?"

"Esperanza," Krystal recognized her immediately, turning to face her completely. "Well, aren't you a sight?" The girl ran to her, throwing her arms around the captain who noted, "You got strong, eh?"

"Krystal!" a male voice called this time. "You're back!"

"Ruban," Krystal grinned as he hurried toward them. "My, you've gotten tall!"

The young man had dark brown eyes and black hair with hardly noticeable highlights of brown. He ran toward Krystal and hugged her.

"We missed you so much!" Esperanza smiled, pulling from Krystal and standing next to her brother. "We thought you were _never_ coming back!"

"And now that she had, she won't be coming back when she leaves, again!" Raphael announced.

"Abuelo---!" Ruban cried as the older man marched toward Krystal and stared her right in the eye.

"Get out, you pirate!" he hissed and her faced dropped slowly before she nodded then looked to Isabella.

"Bell," she nodded then turned to the siblings and nodded to them as well before walking to the door and opening it. She faced her adopted family and bowed grandly before saying, "Bye then."

"No!" Esperanza cried. "Abuelo! We can't just let her leave!"

"Yes, we can!" Raphael shouted and grabbed Krystal by the arm to shove her outside and hissed, "_You_ killed _my_ ship! No one else! _You_ killed her!"

He spun around and slammed the door in her face. She heard it lock and the sound of her sister, niece and nephew shout to let her back in. Krystal turned and leaned back on the door with a sigh.

"_Why __did__ I come back here?_" she thought. "_I should have known the old man would completely overreact!_"

She heard the lock on the door again and suddenly fell onto the floor on her back with a grunt.

"Krystal!" Isabella cried. "Are you alright?!"

Ruban helped her up and she dusted herself off, straightening her clothes and hat.

"I'm fine," she groaned, rubbing her back. "That is, save for me back. I thought dear old Papa didn't want me here?"

"The children wanted to say good bye," Isabella explained.

Krystal smiled and hugged Isabella then whispered, "Alright, sister. I'll just say good bye, then. More then I did _last_ time I left, eh?" Isabella smiled, weakly and Krystal turned to the siblings to say, "Now, you attractive darlings, give your old aunty a hug!"

The brother and sister ran to her and embraced her tightly.

"Don't go again!" Esperanza pleaded. "We love you! We don't want you to go!"

"I have to agree with Esperanza," Ruban said, keeping his emotions from overflowing. "Why don't you stay?"

Krystal sighed and placed a hand on one shoulder each on the siblings. As she said, sternly, "Look here. First off, Papa doesn't _want_ me to stay here. Second of all, I have a ship and a crew to tend to. They're waiting for me now. Thirdly, I can never stay in one place now after I've been all over the Seven Seas."

"You've sailed around the world?!" Ruban grinned. "You _must_ have stories to tell!"

"Well, not exactly---"

"Yes!" Esperanza cheered. "Tell us of your adventures! Please?!"

Krystal sighed and shook her head before looking to Isabella and saying, "Incorrigible children, aren't they?" She didn't wait for a response before she turned back to the children and sighed, "Alright. Why don't I start off with the night I left. Logical place to start, eh?"

* * *

"What took you so long, Captain?" John asked, helping Krystal over the railing. "It's nearly sunset, now."

"Oh, the usual," Krystal smiled, straightening herself as she stood on the deck. "Just reminiscing and tellin' stories."

"Your father wasn't upset?" John frowned in wonder.

"He's not my father," Krystal corrected. "And yes, he was _extremely_ upset. But that made it all the more fun." They grinned, deviously to each other before Krystal looked around at the crew who were only sitting around, doing nothing, and she shouted, "Oi! What are ye knaves doing?! Get up and ready to set sail! We have places to go! People to see! Treasure to hunt down!"

The crew jumped up as soon as she started yelling and bustled around the ship.

"Come on, you barnacle encrusted dogs!" John shouted after his captain. "You heard the captain! Get off yours bullocks and work!"

"Mr. Stewart," Krystal muttered out of the corner of her mouth. "They're already up and moving. Give 'em a bit of slack, eh?"

"Yes, of course," John nodded. "Won't happen again."

"Good lad!" Krystal grinned, slapping his back and making him wince at the force behind it. "Now, where's Matty?"

"You mean, 'Spitfire'?" John smiled.

"Oh, is that his name, now?" Krystal smirked back at him.

"Aye, ever since you called him that."

"I did?"

John only nodded.

"Oh. I don't remember," Krystal murmured then looked around and saw Nemo come out of a hatch and called, "Nemo! Come here, little one!"

Nemo climbed up to her shoulder and cuddled around her neck.

"Where to now, Captain?!" Matthew called from the helm making her jump and turn to the forecastle with wide eyes.

She smirked up at him then grinned, "As far as the horizon, Spitfire! No heading! No destination! Just sail into that horizon!"

Matthew nodded with a grin and spun the helm around to the left as Krystal looked up at the sails and smiled. She grabbed a hold of a rope leading to the mainmast's topsail and climbed toward it, Nemo latched onto her neck. She stood up on the yardarm and held onto the mast, looking out to sea.

"So, love," Transparent Jack suddenly appeared beside her. "Your adventures over yet? Ready to settle down?"

"Not a chance, Jack," Krytsal smirked, not looking away from the sea. "I haven't seen _all_ of the ocean yet. There's more to this world than what I've seen."

"Do you _have_ to see the world?" Jack wondered.

"I want to," Krystal confirmed. "I want to be free. This ship is freedom. The sea is freedom."

"Of course, love."

"Jack?" There was a pause before she continued, "Do you think I'll ever see you again? The _real_ you?"

"What do _you_ think, love?" Jack smirked and Krystal smiled.

"Yes," she sighed. "I'll see you again. As soon as Lizzy and the others get you back."

"They already have, love," he whispered in her ear.

She shot a look toward him, but he had disappeared. Smiling again she looked out to the horizon and her smile widened as the sun disappeared and the Green Flash shot up into the sky. She hummed a tune, then let the words float into the sea air, softly.

_We kindle we char  
Enflame and ignite  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
We burn up the city  
We're really a fright  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
Yo ho, yo ho  
A_ _pirate's life for me_

* * *

**A/N:** oh, but it's not over yet! reviews?


	18. Led to the Future

**A/N:** sorry this took so long. enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 18: Led To Her Future**_

Krystal stood up on the bowspirt, staring out at the horizon. She breathed in the salt air and faced the moon to bask in its glow. She felt free. More free than any other time in her life. She had her crew and her ship, which she had come to love _more_ than the _Phantom Pirate_. Her expression dropped in sorrow as she though back on being in Spain.

"_It's not my fault_," she thought to herself. "_It __can't__ be! It's as though __I__ told those...those __pirates__ to fire upon __my__ ship! Whatever that geezer says, she was __my__ ship, not his. Of course, it __was__ his ship, until I stole it_." She chuckled at that thought. "_It was __far__ too easy to take that ship! It was almost like he set it up so I would do it!_" Musing on that for a moment, her smile dropped as she realized, "_Come to think of it, the old man didn't even seem too upset at the fact that I __stole__ his ship, just at the fact that it __sunk__. He wouldn't have set it up, would he?_"

"Of course he did!" she growled at herself. "He only wanted me out of there! It was all he ever talked about! It was the only way he'd mention me!" She spun to face the ship, sat down on the spirt and slid down to the deck.

"_Why?_" she asked herself as she marched toward the helm where Matthew stood and moved him out of the way to take the wheel. "_Why would he set me up?_"

"Captain?" Matthew frowned at her. "Something wrong?"

"We're going back to Spain," Krytsal replied, flatly.

"Alright," Matthew nodded and began to walk away but stopped short and spun around with a look of disbelief on his face as he shrieked, "What?!"

"I was lied to," Krystal explained. "I need some explanations. Slight detour, that's all. I'll only be a moment."

"Will you acquire assistance?" Matthew asked, sternly.

"No, thank you, Matthew," Krystal nodded as she spun the helm to the ship around. "Raphael's _mine_."

* * *

The night rain patted on the window as Raphael, Isabella and Esperanza sat in the parlor. Raphael was reading a book by the fireplace. Isabella was sewing and Esperanza sat at the piano, practicing.

"Mama?" the young girl called.

"Yes, niña?" replied, not looking from her sewing.

"Can I try to play something else?" Esperanza requested.

"Alright," Isabella consented. "Take a break from Bach for a while."

"When will Diego and Ruban be back from the port?" Raphael wondered, flipping a page in his book.

"I'm not sure," Isabella replied as Esperanza began playing something else. "They left only a half hour ago."

Raphael slammed his book shut and shot a wide-eyed stare of disbelief at his granddaughter. She was playing a _very_ familiar song.

"Where did you learn that song?!" he demanded, standing and walking toward her as she looked up at him with frightened eyes.

"I-I learned it from…from…" she trailed off and looked at her mother. Isabella nodded that it was alright and Esperanza looked back at her grandfather to reply, "I learned it from Tia Krystal."

The front door suddenly slammed open and the sound of soaked boots marching in could be heard through the house.

"Did I hear someone call my name?" Krystal smirked, her clothes sopping wet from the rain and her sword drawn.

"_Now_ what?!" Raphael demanded, walking in front of the fireplace.

"I've some questions for _you_, Raphael!" Krystal growled but grinned in sudden calm. "But first, why don't you finish playing that little ditty, Esperanza?"

"Sheath your piece, first!" Esperanza spat.

"Sorry, love," Krystal replied, shaking her head. "Can't do that." Esperanza sighed and Isabella ran to her daughter's side as Krystal complimented, "You know, Bell, she's real brave to tell a pirate to sheath her sword. A pirate _captain_ no less, who's used to giving orders, not _taking_ them."

Esperanza began playing the song she had learned and Krystal began to sing with a smile:

_Yo ho, yo ho  
__A pirate's life for me_

"I never get tired of that song," Krystal smiled as Esperanza kept playing. "Now, old man, let the interrogation begin!"

"Must you have your sword pointed at Papa, Krystal?!" Isabella demanded as she gripped Esperanza's hands to stop her from playing any more.

"Yes!" Krystal snapped back. "Because he used to be a pirate! You can make the pirate a civilian, but you can't take the pirate out of him!"

Isabella and Esperanza looked at each other in utter confusion at that statement and Isabella guessed, "So that's a 'no' to 'Please put your sword away'?"

"That's right!" Krystal nodded. "Now can I get to my questions?!"

"Ask me what you will!" Raphael snarled. "But you won't hear what you want!"

"That seems to be my lot in life," Krystal smirked, dangerously. "I'm used to it! Now, I know when I stole your ship, it was _far_ too easy. My question is: Did you set your ship up as a sitting duck?!"

Raphael stared at her for a moment then snickered. The three girls stared at him in disbelief as he began to burst into laughter fit. "Answer me!"

"Of course I set it up!" Raphael finally spat in laughter at the pirate captain. "You think _anybody_ could steal my ship if I hadn't?!"

"Well, then, that leads to me next question: Why did you set it up?!"

"To be rid of pirating! My plan worked rather well, didn't it?!"

"Aye, that it did. But how did you know _I_ would steal it?!"

"I didn't! Such fortune! Not only was I through with pirating, but I got rid of _you_ as an added bonus!"

"Papa!" Isabella gasped, not believing her father would say such things about her adopted sister.

"It's alright, Bell," Krystal assured her, not taking her eyes from Raphael. "I knew the old geezer wanted me out!"

"Yes! Any my only regret is that it was _you_ who stole my ship! If you hadn't, she'd still be sailing like she _should_ be!"

"It's not my fault! I didn't fire on her myself! I loved her!"

Krystal could feel a lump forming in her throat and tears welling in her eyes, but shook her head vigorously to keep from crying, making Raphael smile, evilly.

"Well, well, well," he taunted, crossing his arms over his chest. "The great Captain Krystal Robyn has emotions. Not good for a pirate!"

"Shut it!" Krystal snarled. "Don't insult me! Of _course_ I have feelings---!" She suddenly felt her arms being pulled behind her and her sword clanged to the floor. "Oi! What the devil---?! No. _Who_ the devil is restraining me?!"

"You will not come into our home and draw a sword on my father-in-law, pirate!" a man's voice growled at Krystal, snapping her into realization. She knew that voice.

"Diego?" she breathed and she felt his grip loosen a bit.

"Krystal?"

She spun around when he let her go to meet the surprised gaze of a gentleman with dark brown eyes and ebony hair.

"Krystal! You're back!" Ruban grinned and ran toward his father from the front door. Diego held his hand up to stop Ruban who gave him a confused look.

"I meant no harm, Diego," Krystal said, rather timidly. Although Krystal was rebellious and fearless, when it came to Diego, she turned from a powerful lioness, into a docile kitten. He was an exceptionally big man, but hardly a person to fear. No one could understand what she feared from him.

"Why, then, did you have your piece pointed at Papa?!" Diego boomed, making Krystal cringe back a bit.

"I don't trust him," Krystal murmured, twiddling her thumbs. "I wasn't sure if he would attack _me_." As if to prove her point, a roar erupted behind Krystal and her fierce look in her eyes returned in a flash as she shouted, "Move!"

She ducked as a fire-poker sliced through the air, head height and barely missing Diego's nose, with an angry Raphael wielding it. Krystal rolled forward, grabbing her sword and it met with a clang on the iron poker that Raphael brought down on her again.

"Papa!" Isabella cried, grabbing Esperanza when the girl stood to run _toward_ the fight.

"Abuelo!" Ruban shouted, but Raphael ignored his family and lunged at Krystal again, as she was still on the floor.

"Listen to your family!" Krystal pleaded. "Don't put them in danger just because of your hatred for me!"

"Raphael!" Diego pleaded when Krystal jumped to her feet and ran between the two in an attempt to stop the fight. "Please! Think of the children!"

Raphael shoved Diego out of the way with a growl and ran at Krystal. There was another clang, but it wasn't from Krystal's sword hitting Raphael's weapon.

"Ruban!" Raphael growled. "What do you think you are doing?!"

"Ruban!" Krystal and Isabella cried but the pirate continued, "Don't get into the middle of this! You'll get hurt!"

"I love you both! But I will _not_ tolerate him attacking you for no reason!" Ruban explained.

Diego walked toward Raphael and quickly knocked him out with a decorative cane. Krystal sheathed her sword and Ruban replaced his as his father walked toward him but Krystal was already standing in front the young man. A slap of skin on skin impact echoed through the room and Ruban stared at Krystal's angry stare in shock.

"_Next_ time you pull a stunt like that, you won't have Daddy around to help you!" Krystal scolded. "You get into fight between two pirates and I guarantee you will be dead and bleeding on the ground if you don't know what you're doing!"

"Krystal!" Diego snapped. "I am capable of disciplining my own son!"

Krystal ferocity tamed down immediately and she looked to Diego to reply, flatly, "Some things he should learn from someone who's lived the life."

"Are you implying I have _not_ lived life?" Diego shot back.

"Not a pirate's life," she replied.

He stared at Krystal in disbelief then breathed, "So you _are_ a pirate?" Krystal nodded and he sighed in sadness asking, "Why?"

"It's freedom, Papa," Esperanza suddenly spoke up and all eyes shot to her as she walked up next to her father. "The smell of the sea, the warmth of the sun, the feeling of the ocean air. Not to mention, knowing that you can _wherever_ you wish. _That_ is why, Papa."

Diego could see his daughter's face light up as she spoke and sighed in more sadness before he placed his hands on her shoulders and murmured, "Esperanza, do not tell me you _approve_ of your aunt becoming a pirate!"

"No," she laughed. "But I can certainly understand _why_ she would seek freedom through piracy!"

"Esperanza, you shouldn't think that way," Krystal breathed and all eyes shot to _her_ now as she walked slowly toward the door. "Freedom can be found in many other ways. Don't do what I did. Keep up with your music. _That_ is a source of freedom when used properly, and you're quite good with it." She opened the door, the rain pounding outside, the lightening and thunder shattering the silence. "Good-bye."

"Krystal!" Isabella cried, running toward the door as Krystal headed out. "Come back whenever you please!" Krystal continued out the door and away from the house. "You're always welcome!"

* * *

"Get the answers you were looking for?" John asked as he and Krystal were in her cabin, Krystal wringing out her hair.

"Yes," she sighed. "Pull out two bottles of rum, will you?"

"What are we celebrating?" he frowned, walking to her rum box.

"Not a thing," she replied. "I just need a drink."

John handed her a bottle and she yanked the cork out to gulp down the liquid that could make her forget.

"Easy, Captain!" John laughed, gently pulling the bottom of the bottle down to force Krystal to breathe. "Remember what happened _last_ time you drank that fast?!"

"I don't care!" Krystal snapped. "I need this!" The two were silent for a few moments before she asked, "John? Why did you become a pirate?"

"I needed the money," John shrugged without hesitation then took a swig of rum before continuing, "I had heard pirates get bundles of coin. Who hasn't?" John looked at Krystal, who only drank a bit of rum and asked, "Why did _you_ become a pirate?"

"I'm not too sure," she murmured. "I suppose, at first, it was because I ended up on a pirate ship. I figured it must have been fate, that piracy was the only course left for me." She took another drink. "Then I realized, 'I have _many_ other talents. Why would I use them on _this_ profession?' And then it hit me." She sat up and looked at John with glowing eyes and a slight smile. "Freedom. This was the _only_ way for me to gain freedom. I had tried everything else, and _this_ stuck. I couldn't deny it." She sat back again. "Now, I think I should've looked harder for _my_ freedom."

* * *

**A/N:** loose ends will be all tied up soon, and a surprise visit from one of our favorite pirates! reviews?


	19. Questions, Explanations and Stowaways

**A/N:** next chappie! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 19: Questions, Explanations and Stowaways**_

"_Do you fear death?" Jones asked a seventeen year old Krystal, his face in front of her._

"_Why should I, Fish Face?!" Krystal spat. "It looks to me like I'm still standing!"_

_Jones straightened with a small growl before starting, "Join my crew---"_

"_Yes, yes. 'One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?' No, because I already __have__ a captain. His name is Jack Sparrow, and he's teaching me to sail and whatnot. So, if you'll just escort me back over to the __Black Pearl__ I can get on with my lessons!"_

"_I think not, lass," Jones grinned, evilly._

"_Well, why not? She's only a few leagues away! If we hurry we can---!"_

"_Silence!"_

_Krystal cringed back at Jones' shout before asking, "Something I said?"_

"_Do you __ever__ stop talking?"_

"_Not really," Krystal shrugged, shaking her head a bit. She looked down and began fiddling with a ring of gold with a diamond set between two emeralds. Jones snatched it off her finger and examined. "'Ey! Thet's mine! Give it back!"_

_She charged him, but was pulled back by a man with a hermit crab shell on his head._

"_Where did ye find this?" Jones asked calmly, still examining the thing._

"_Japan," Krystal replied, flatly. "Swiped it off the knave that gave me this…" She showed off her left forearm which had a tattoo of a dragon swallowing a serpent and four Japanese symbols lining her wrist. "Jack was so proud of me!"_

"_Why don't I keep this then, eh?" Jones grinned, evilly again at her before looking up at the hermit-man behind her and ordering smoothly, "To the brig."_

* * *

"So _that's_ what the ring was about?" Matthew asked Krystal as she translated the story in Spanish to Mamali who was clutched to the young man's arm. Krystal only nodded as she spoke to Mamali. The three were in her cabin, Matthew and Mamali sat on the window seat and Krystal leaned back on the side of her desk.

"I stole the Eye of Cortes and in turn, it was stolen from me," Krystal summarized. "I didn't think Fish Face would give it back, though. Guess I should be glad that he did just in time."

"How did you know that the rings had any connection to predicting the future with Kan and all that?" Matthew wondered.

"Pirates hear legends and myths from everywhere," Krystal explained. "When I was in Japan, the knave giving me the tattoo was talking about the legend of the white tiger with an eye of emerald and an eye of sapphire to one of his friends. He held up the ring and said that a friend of his had the other ring called the Star of Confucius. But, his friend had been killed by another pirate, and it began to change hands until it came into Kan the Samurai's possession. But I didn't hear about that until later.

"Myself, being a pirate in training, I listened carefully, stowed the story away in the banks of my memory and took to the ring. I saw this as an opportunity to impress Jack with my newly learned pick-pocketing skills and wasted no time in taking advantage of it. I slipped the ring out of _his_ pocket and into _mine_. You can imagine how pleased Jack was! I'll never forget that smile he gave me as he saw that thing."

Krystal looked at Matthew as he smirked at her and she cleared her throat, straightening.

"Anything to 'please' him, eh?" Matthew smirked.

"You'll watch your tone and words, Bosun," Krystal ordered in a stern, low voice, a dark expression coming to her face. Matthew's smirk faded and he nodded. Mamali moved closer to Matthew, seeing the look on Krystal's face.

"Esta bueno," Matthew murmured to Mamali. He was learning Spanish and getting very good at it, wanting to be able to speak to Mamali on his own. Mamali nodded and leaned on his shoulder.

"_I could get used to this_," Matthew thought, the smirk returning to his lips for a moment before he said, "I'm sorry, Captain. I was far too bold."

Krystal's face softened as she nodded with a small smile, "It's alright, Spit Fire. Are there any other questions you would like to ask me?"

"No, ma'am," Matthew replied, standing and Mamali with him. They walked, arm and arm toward the door, but Matthew stopped, whispering something to Mamali to wait and they both turned toward Krystal. "There _is_ one other thing I wanted to ask after all, Captain."

"Go on," Krystal , stepping from the side of the desk to lean desk on it from the front.

"Do you know _why_ Jones let you off his ship?"

Krystal stood at attention, shooting a confused look at Matthew as she replied, hesitantly, "No. That's an odd question." She stepped closer to Matthew immediately questioning, "You know something about that? Jones told you something? Tell me what he said."

"In so many words: Jack saved you," Matthew replied, flatly.

Krystal stared at him, waiting for more, but when he said nothing else she irritably said, "I would like it if you elaborated a little more on that, Matthew."

"Jones said that he offered Jack fifteen years of sailing the _Black Pearl_ for returning it to him, but then he'd pay his debt," he explained.

"Fifteen?" Krystal frowned in wonder. "I thought it was _thir_teen."

"Jack traded two years from sailing the _Pearl_, in exchange for you." Matthew was careful to make it dramatic and he smirked slightly as Krystal's eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

"He-He did?" she sputtered, breathlessly. "Why would he do that?"

"I think it's rather romantic," Matthew smiled with a small shrug. "But that's just me."

"Jack didn't know _how_ to be romantic," Krystal scoffed, her shock fading. He doesn't do anything without calculating how it benefits _him_."

"That trade benefited him _greatly_, as I see it."

"How's that?"

"He got the _Black Pearl_ back, _and_ you. Two of his greatest treasures."

Krystal's eyes shot wider at the last sentence but pulled back to calmly tell him, "I think that's enough question for now, Spit Fire."

"Aye, ma'am," Matthew nodded. "If I've upset you at all---"

"You didn't," Krystal interrupted, still calm. "You actually cleared a few things up. Thank you. Dismissed, Bosun."

"Thank you, Captain," Matthew nodded. He and Mamali walked out on deck, closing the doors behind them. Krystal sighed and walked toward the chair on the other side of her desk to sit down.

"_It all makes sense now!_" she thought. "_That's__ why so careful to keep me close, and why he was awfully…affectionate when I came back to the __Pearl__. Why didn't I see it before?!_" She sighed and leaned back in her chair, swinging her legs up onto the table.

"Oh, Jack," she sighed. "What _had_ you gotten yourself into?" She shook her head at him before sighing again, "Jack…I miss you. I never thought I'd miss you this much."

There was a knock on the door, jolting Krystal from her thoughts.

"¡Pase!"

The door opened to reveal John Stewart in the doorway with a wide grin on his face.

"Hola, Captain," he grinned, walking into the cabin and shutting the doors behind him.

"Well, aren't _you_ in a good mood," Krystal smiled, sitting up as John nodded, standing at attention in front of her desk.

"Well, you would be as well if yourself and the love of your life had a wonderful evening---"

Krystal clapped her hands over her ears and shook her head, dramatically, pleading with her hand up in surrender, "I don't want to hear _any_ details about your marriage! I don't need any images of you two."

"Of course," John chuckled. "Apologies, Captain. I'm here because the men are wondering where we're going? Do we have a particular heading?"

"No, actually," Krystal sighed. "We're just going to sail on. _Maybe_ we'll go back to Trinidad. I have a few questions for that chief of Mamali's. I have to know how he knows Jack."

"That reminds me," John broke in. "You never told us what took you so long to get off Isla de Asesino. What happened?"

Krystal has a brief flashback of the events on the island before it sank into the sea. Her expression dropped to sadness and she swallowed before standing and answering in a stern voice, "Mr. Stewart, as with many things I tell you in confidence, _this_ may be used against me later." She stepped around her desk as he opened his mouth in protest, but she raised a hand as she stood directly in front of him. "I don't think I should tell you what happened, _only_ because you're not ready. I _will_ tell you that you _still_ haven't killed anybody."

"And when will I be---? What?!"

"When I deem you ready, and yes, you heard right." Krystal walked around him, toward the cabin doors. "Now, no more questions, Mr. Stewart." She rubbed her forehead. "I'm beginning to get a headache."

John turned to her and nodded, still in shocked confusion. The two walked out on deck and Krystal smiled when she saw Mamali and Matthew playing with Nemo.

"Matthew!" John barked, making the young man jump with a start and look to him. "To the helm, lad!"

Matthew shot to his feet and raced to the helm, asking, "Where to, Captain?!"

"Trinidad!" Krystal called back to him. "We need some rest and relaxation!" The crew cheered as she murmured to herself, "And I need some answers." She glanced around before shouting, "All hands to your stations!"

"Aye, Captain! Aye!" the crew cheered together and ran about the ship. Mamali ran up to her with Nemo on her shoulder and smiled.

"You like Nemo, eh?" Krystal smiled in Spanish.

"Oh, yes!" Mamali grinned in Spanish as well, cuddling the lemur to her cheek as he chattered, happily. "He is so adorable! I could never understand why my countrymen would eat them!"

Krystal burst into a hearty laugh as she replied, "I was wondering the same thing!"

"Captain!"

Krystal spun around to see John dragging two teens by the arms, a grim look on his face. She hadn't realized he'd gone, and the realization of who he was dragging toward her was enough to make her scream.

"I found these two hiding in the galley," he snarled, shoving them in front of her. "They _say_ they know you."

"Yes. I know them," Krystal growled lowly, glaring at the two. "Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw you two in a long boat and make you _row_ back to Spain!"

Esperanza and Ruban exchanged glances before Esperanza tried, "Because you love us?"

"No, that's one reason I _should_!" Krystal shot back then turned to John. "Throw these two in the brig so they don't run a muck on my ship, then come about and head back for Spain."

"Aye, Captain," John nodded.

"Wait!" Ruban pleaded. "You _must_ take us with you!"

Krystal looked the young man in the eye and growled, "You and your sister are _not_ coming with me. If your father knew you were here he would slap you silly! Your mother wouldn't be too pleased, either! _Then_ there's your grandfather! This would just give him more ammunition against me, and you two would not see broad daylight for as long as you live! _I_ don't want that for you, and I _know_ you don't want that either. Now, understand me when I say the sea is no place for respectable young people such as yourselves. You have a good chance to make something out of yourselves, so do it…the _right_ way!"

"_You_ were respectable!" Esperanza retorted.

"I was born poor!" Krystal spat. "You don't know _anything_ about who I was before I came to live with you! I _had_ a family! A mother, a father, a sister! They were taken from me by death of ship and I survived on my own for a good portion of my life! _You_, on the other hand, have _much_ more than I did at your age, and I won't stand by and let you take that for granted! You are going home! End of story!"

"Do you still want them in the brig?" John asked, hesitantly.

"No," Krystal sighed in exhaustion. "Put them in my cabin. But don't you two touch anything! You hear me?!"

The siblings nodded and John led them to her quarters.

"We just wanted to be with you," Ruban muttered in a whine, making Krystal sigh again but she didn't turn to them.

"Mr. Stewart, wait," she called, stopping the three. "Bring them back here." John led the teens to their adopted aunt and she looked at them each in the eye, saying, "Do your parents know you're here?"

"Yes," they replied at the same time, a bit too quickly for Krystal's liking.

"Liars," she replied, flatly.

"I beg your pardon?!" Ruban barked.

"Don't you bark at me, niño," she warned in a low tone. "Now, who wants to tell me the truth?"

"We asked Mama if we could go with you," Ruban tried again. "At first she said 'no' but we convinced her---"

"Wrong," Krystal interrupted, flatly. "Your mother is as stubborn as I am when it comes to the two of you. Try again."

"We stowed away and Mama and Papa know nothing about it," Esperanza sighed in defeat.

"Ding! A gold star for the young lady!" Krystal grinned and looked up at Matthew. "Come about, lad! Back to Spain, a moment!"

"Belay that!" Ruban shouted to the helm and Krystal look at him in anger and disbelief as he only smirked in triumph, "You see, Tia? We've done some research on _this_ matter."

"Your boldness and overconfidence will get you killed if you're not careful, sobrino," Krystal said, lowly. "Why should I let you on board my ship and give you leave to join my crew?"

"Because life should be lived and realized," Esperanza chimed in, "not stared at through a cage or window."

Krystal straightened and growled in her throat before saying, "Use my own words against me so I have no choice but to follow them just to prove I'm no hypocrite?" She shook her head with a small sigh as she muttered, "Now I have _four_ students."

She looked up to Matthew and called, "Alright, Spit Fire! Keep our original heading! Trinidad is our destination!"

Ruban's and Esperanza's faces lit up and they hugged Krystal so tightly, she could hardly breathe as they cheered, together, "Thank you, Tia!"

"Oi! Off with ye! Let go for a minute! I'm not finished with you two yet!" She held them both at arms length as they detached from her. "Now, did you at least leave a note before you left?" They both nodded. "Good. So I can write them and tell them you're safe." She thought for a moment. "I suppose I'll have to write them every day. And they _may_ come after you…" She shook away the rest of the sentence. "We'll cross _that_ bridge when we get to it. Now, you two can't be dressing so fancy! Into my cabin and see what you can find."

The siblings ran to do as they were told and John looked at Krystal in concern.

"Are you sure, Captain?" he hoped. "They're so young?"

"How young is Matty?" she reminded him as they strolled down the deck, side by side. "And how old was _I_ when I was thrust into this life?" She thought for a moment and answered his question in a low tone, "No, John. I'm _not_ sure. But we'll see if they're ready for a challenge."

* * *

**A/N:** loose ends all tied up...and now, our surprise guest! LOL! reviews?


	20. The Pirate Prince Returns

**A/N:** sorry thiss took so long. last chappie for this story! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 20: The Pirate Prince Returns**_

Krystal stood on the yardarm of the main topgallant, beneath the flag she had her sail-maker stitch up. She was proud of that flag. She'd designed it herself. She sighed as she stared out to sea, scanning the horizon for Martinique.

"Captain?"

Krystal jumped and looked to her left…down at the yardarm to find Matthew hanging from the arm, trying to get up ad stand next to his captain.

"A little help?" he hoped, holding out a hand to her and Krystal smirked with a scoff as she held her hand to him and he grasped it.

"You know, Spit Fire," she strained against carefully helping him up while keeping her balance, "you shouldn't do things you don't know how to do, yet."

"Sorry, Captain," he replied, straightening himself out. "What are you doing up here?"

"Thinking," she replied. "And watching for Martinique. Where's Mamali?"

"Sleeping," Matthew smiled. "It's almost midnight, after all."

"Is it?" Krystal wondered, distantly.

"Aye," Matthew nodded and looked to her as she looked out to sea and he asked, "Did Mamali's chief ask about her?"

"Aye," Krystal nodded, still not looking at him. "I lied through my teeth, of course."

"And he believed you?" he smirked.

"Aye," she scoffed.

There was a pause as Matthew glanced at her a few times before risking to ask, "So, what was the detour for, Captain?"

"I had a few questions for the Chief, is all," Krystal shrugged.

"And did you get your answers?"

Krystal fell silent…

"_How do you know Jack?" Krystal asked the chief in Spanish, and his new translator did his job as she waited for a response._

"_I promised him I would not tell anyone," the chief replied._

"_He told me everything when I was his student," Krystal explained. "He would have told me if he could."_

_After the chief gave her a skeptical glance, he spoke to his translator._

"_He asked me what he should do about getting you back from Davy Jones," he confessed._

"_Brilliant__," Krystal thought to herself, irritably. "__It took him a __**week**__ to figure out what to do in that situation where it would have taken __**me**__ a __**second**__ to decide what to do if __**he**__ had been in __**my**__ position! Romantic or not, it took him too bloody long if he truly saw as a 'great treasure' of his!__"_

"_Why did he come __here__ for the answer?" she wondered._

"_He is part of our tribe as you are," the chief replied and Krystal's eyes widened in utter shock. "But he has taken us for granted. He never comes here anymore."_

"Aye," Krystal nodded, finally answering her bosun's question. "I did."

"I'm glad for ye, captain," Matthew nodded, turning back to the horizon and Krystal gave a smirk and scoff.

"Jack…" she whispered, catching Matthew's attention but he only glanced at her, saying nothing then smirked at what he heard from his captain next. Not too loud, but not too softly, either.

_I hear your voice on the wind  
__And I hear you call out my name_

Matthew soon joined in, and Krystal glanced at him but didn't object as she continued.

"_Listen, my child," you say to me  
_"_I am The Voice of your history  
__Be not afraid, come follow me  
__Answer my call and I'll set you free"_

Krystal smirked as Matthew harmonized his lower tenor with her soprano, neither of them noticing the crew on deck below gathering around and listening.

_I am The Voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
__I am The Voice of your hunger and pain  
__I am The Voice that always is calling you  
__I am The Voice – I will remain_

Matthew looked to his captain and noticed a small glint of moonlight reflect off of her cheek, then quickly turned away. He knew she would be angry if she realized he'd seen her cry. A captain couldn't be soft, and even though he knew Jack Sparrow was her soft spot, even though he'd just seen a tear form over her cheek, he knew she was far from it.

_I am The Voice in the fields when the summer's gone  
__The dance on the leaves when the autumn winds blow  
__Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long  
__I am the force that in springtime will grow_

John and Jasmine looked up from the deck and smiled as they reached for two ropes to climb up the rigging, Mamali watching with a frown as she kept Nemo the lemur on her shoulder. She had awoken and went looking for Matthew only to be told that he was on deck, and now she smiled as she heard him singing.

_I am The Voice of the past that will always be  
__Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields  
__I am The Voice of the future  
__Bring your peace  
__Bring me your peace and my wounds – they will heal_

Krystal felt a hand on her right shoulder and looked up to see John and Jasmine, balancing on the yardarm, and smiled before they all continued the last verses of the song.

_I am The Voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
__I am The Voice of your hunger and pain  
__I am The Voice that always is calling you  
__I am The Voice  
__I am The Voice of the past that will always be  
__I am The Voice of your hunger and pain  
__I am The Voice of the future  
__I am The Voice  
__I am The Voice  
__I am The Voice  
__I am The Voice_

"Are you alright, Captain?" John wondered in a whisper after a small moment of silence.

"I'll be fine, John," she whispered back, not looking at him as she lifted a hand to pat his as it still sat on her shoulder. "I thought you and Jasmine would be…asleep by now."

"We wanted to take a moonlight stroll on deck," John shrugged, lowering his hand. "We heard you singing and decided to join you. It's a rare opportunity to hear you sing sober, Captain."

Krystal scoffed before replying, "Well, thank you, Mr. Stewart. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be alone awhile."

"'Acourse, Ma'am," John nodded and turned to Jasmine. "Come along, my love. The captain wants to be alone with her thoughts."

Jasmine nodded as John waved Matthew down as well and he nodded in compliance.

"Buenas noches, Capitán," Matthew nodded before starting down the ratlines.

"Buenas noches, nin o," Krystal smiled, weakly before turning back to the horizon with a sigh as she was left alone.

"_I'd go looking for Jack_," she thought, "_but that'd have us going everywhere without any benefit to the crew. The treasure in Martinique will keep them for just so long. I don't want a mutiny on my hands._" She gave a small smirk as she thought, "_I'll just let __him__ find __me_."

* * *

Jack sat back in his dinghy with a bottle of rum in his hand, his hat tilted forward, shading his eyes and his feet propped up on the port railing as he hummed one of his favorite songs.

_We're rascals and scoundrels  
__We're villains and knaves  
__Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
__We're devils and black sheep  
__We're really bad eggs  
__Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
__Yo ho, yo ho  
__A pirate's life for me_

"Dinghy off the starboard bow!"

"What the-?"

Jack shot up and looked around to see a huge ship coming up to his right and swallowed.

"Not good."

A line was thrown form the ship and he pulled out his compass.

"Wonder if I'm still on course…"

He trailed off as he looked at his compass and his eyes widened as the needle pointed…directly _toward_ the ship. He frowned and shook the thing but it still directed the needle toward the ship. The dinghy bumped into the ship, catching his attention and a young man landed in the small boat as Jack put his compass away again. The boy looked to be about seventeen with chocolate brown hair that fell at his shoulders and coal black eyes.

"Hello, Captain Sparrow," the boy grinned.

"Oh good," Jack chirped, struggling to stand. "You know me. I'm on a little mission to regain my ship. Perhaps you can just…let me go on my way?"

"I'm sorry, Sir," the boy replied, shaking his head. "My captain wishes to wishes to see you."

"Could you inform your captain that I have no time to sign autographs this time 'round?"

"Please, Sir," Matthew continued. "It you would only see my captain I'm sure we could help you find your ship if you asked."

Jack thought for a moment, glancing at the ship which his compass _had_ pointed at. Clearly there was _something_ on the ship he wanted, whether he knew what it was or not.

"Alright, lad," Jack sighed, waving at him. "I'll go."

The boy grinned again and climbed to the deck of the ship with Jack following him close behind as a few other crew members jumped down to tie the boat and hoist it up onto the deck. Jack frowned as he thought he recognized a few of the men but said nothing. All dirty, smelly, scallywags were starting to look the same to him. Even the boat seemed familiar, but those were all starting to look the same as well.

The boy led Jack across the deck and into a room that looked like a Captain's quarters, a tall chair sitting behind a table, facing away from Jack as he entered.

"Captain?" the boy called, stopping himself and Jack in the center of the room. "Captain Jack Sparrow to see you."

A hand waved the boy off and he nodded, turning to walk out the open doors to the cabin and shut them behind him.

"Alright," Jack chirped, stepping up to the desk to lean on it. "I'll make this quick. I've lost my ship…again, and I was hoping, perhaps that you could help me with my dilemma since you've called me onto your ship."

"¿Por qué?" an awfully feminine voice asked flatly, and Jack smirked, glad that he'd picked up at least a _little_ Spanish from Krystal.

"Because," he still smirked, sitting on the edge of the desk. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

The voice laughed and the chair suddenly spun around, sending Jack to the floor in shock. He shot to his feet again and stared into turquoise blue eyes on a smiling face in disbelief.

"You certainly are," Krystal murmured. "I knew I'd find you eventually."

"Am I dreaming, love?" Jack breathed, leaning on the table with both hands to get a good look at her. "That really you?"

Krystal stood up and slowly walked around the table to stand directly in front of him. She slid her hands around his neck and placed her lips onto his, giving him a passionate kiss before pulling away and looking into his eyes.

"Did that feel real?" she whispered. Jack grinned, saying nothing as he pulled her back onto his lips, slipping his arms around her waist and making her giggled as they pulled each other closer. After breaking the kiss, they only stood in silence for a moment, gazing at each other.

"I missed you, Krystal," Jack breathed, rubbing his nose against hers in a quick Eskimo kiss.

"I missed you, too, Jack," she breathed back before smirking, "So, you lost your ship again, eh?"

"Unfortunately," Jack muttered, neither one of them leaving the other's arms. "Barbossa…again."

"You sad, sad man," Krystal pouted, comically. "I'll help you get the _Pearl_ back. But…" She held a finger to his lips as she resumed, "…you have to do something for _me_."

"Of course I do, love," Jack smirked, rolling his eyes. "What is it?"

"You promised some time ago that you would catch me and never let me go," she reminded him, slipping her hands to rest on his chest. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

"Hold me to it, then," Jack smirked. "I'll be _glad_ to fulfill the task."

"Good," she nodded, pressing a kiss to his nose. "Now, let's go find your ship. You've met Matthew, my bosun. You're his idol."

"Really?" Jack smirked, pulling her a little closer by her waist. "I like the lad already."

Krystal chuckled and snuggled under his chin, her cheek against his chest as she breathed, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

A knock sounded on the door.

"What?" they barked in irritated unison, stepping away from each other. The door opened as John let himself in.

"Captain," he nodded to Krystal. "Heading?"

"Not sure, yet," she smirked then turned to Jack. "Open up that compass of yours to find out which direction your ship is headed."

"Actually, I've got a little something else in mind," Jack grinned and pulled something out from his jacket. He unrolled the thing he'd pulled out and set it on Krystal's desk as she leaned over it in wide-eyed astonishment. Jack leaned next to her, watching her reaction with glowing eyes and a grin before leaning toward her ear and whispering, "The Fountain of Youth, love."

"But-" she choked and cleared her throat as Jack only smirked at her. "But it's impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible, love," he insisted. "I'm living proof of that."

Krystal looked at him in skepticism then raised a brow at him and asked, "How did you get Sao Feng's charts?"

Jack's eyes shifted as he muttered, "Barbossa. He was gonna try for it as well, but _I'm_ far more clever."

Krystal thought for a moment then spun around to look at John, who had been waiting patiently for his orders.

"Nor east, Mr. Stewart!" she ordered. "Step to!"

"Aye, Captain!" John smiled then spun around and left, closing the doors behind him.

Krystal turned to Jack again and took his hands in hers, smiling, "Now, you must tell me _everything_ that's happened."

"Oh, I _must_, eh?" he smirked, turning to sit on the edge of the desk, still holding her hands and pulling her between his knees.

"Yes," she nodded as his hands left hers and settled on her waist again. "Start with the bits _after_ the Kraken."

"Shall I tell you what the inside of it was like?" he smirked and she wrinkled her nose.

"I can imagine," she muttered. "Start with the Locker."

* * *

**A/N:** and that's where the third movie picks up. lol! well, how'd you like it? thanks to those who stuck with this story and hopefully enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. the saga continues in True Treasure! Reviews?


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